Region VII
Workforce Investment
Board
Strategic Plan
July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014
Eastern Panhandle Counties of
Berkeley * Grant * Hampshire * Hardy * Jefferson
* Mineral * Morgan * Pendleton
Region VII Workforce Investment Board
1929-2 State Road 55
Moorefield, WV 26836
Phone: (304) 530-5258
Fax: (304) 530-5107
Web-site: www.wvregion7wib.org
Mr. Bradley Close
Chief Local Elected Official
Mr. Ted Bostic
Chairperson
Mr. Thomas J. Van Meter
Executive Director
1
Region VII Workforce Investment Board
Local Plan
Table of Contents
Section Number
Section Title
I
Mission of WorkForce West Virginia
Executive Summary
4
4
II
Industry Profile for Region VII West Virginia
8
Industry Profile for Region VII West Virginia
Other Targeted Industries or Business
Current Worker Skills and Characteristics
Education/Training Capacity to Meet Current Demands
Current Resources
8
10
11
14
14
The Desired State of the Workforce
16
Local Area Vision, Mission, and Goals
Projected Employment Opportunities
Projected Workforce Needs
The Supply Pipeline
16
18
21
21
Analysis and Strategic Planning for Achieving the
Desired State of the Workforce
23
Gap Analysis
Strategic Goals / Action Strategies
23
24
Local Area Governance
26
Local Elected Officials
The Local Workforce Investment Board
Rapid Response
Youth Council
Fiscal Agent
26
26
30
32
32
The WorkForce West Virginia System
34
WorkForce West Virginia System Development
WorkForce West Virginia Partner Services
WorkForce West Virginia Services to Specific Populations
34
38
40
III
IV
V
VI
Page Number
2
VII
VIII
WorkForce West Virginia Governance
42
Workforce Investment Services
42
General Information Regarding Access to Services
Access to Services for Adults and Dislocated Workers
Access to Services for Employers
Access to Youth Services
42
43
50
51
Additional Information
56
Procurement
Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Grievance Procedures
Local Grievance Procedures
Performance Management
Signature Page
56
56
57
58
59
Attachments:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
Local Elected Officials Agreement
Memorandum of Agreement between Local Elected Officials
And the Region VII Workforce Investment Board
Statement of Work between Eastern WV Community Action Agency and the Region VII
Workforce Investment Board
Meeting Schedules (LEOs, WIB, and Youth Council)
Region VII Organization Chart
Career Center WorkForce West Virginia Business Plans and Partner Memorandums of
Understanding (MOU)
Negotiated Performance Measures
Public Comments
WV Occupational Projections Workforce Investment Area 7 2010-2020
WV Occupation Demand Listing
Region VII Occupation Demand Listing
WV Occupational Projections Statewide
WIB Bylaws
One-Stop Chartering Criteria
MOU between the Region 7 Workforce Investment Board and the One-Stop Management
Consortiums
Cost Allocation Plan
Region VII Training Provider Memorandums of Understanding
Statement of Work between United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and Region VII Workforce
Investment Board for Year-Around Youth Services
WIB and LEO Roster
Interagency Collaborative Team Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
Regional Policies see
www.wvregion7wib.org
3
The Mission of the WorkForce West Virginia System
Overall Mission:
Provide a framework in which the workforce of West Virginia can attain necessary skills required for the
21st century. This effort should serve both individual and business/industry needs within Region VII.
Primary Objective:
Utilizing a system of One Stop Centers, integrate all elements of the public sector that contribute to the
mission. This action will be delivered through a coordinated system of Case Management, Management
Information System, and Business Services teams. Deliverables will be directly linked to skills training
in demand occupations. These actions include mentoring, work readiness, and job
development/placement.
This integrated system will be developed by the public and private sector. The individual job seeker will
serve as the supply side for employers. Employment opportunities are created from the current demands
of business and industry. Technology and innovation will serve as the catalyst that drives employer’s need
for a skilled workforce. The system will produce the demographics of skill needs, skill sets and skills
training essential to employment needs. The aforementioned information will be made available to job
seekers, businesses, training providers and partner agencies.
An essential element of this endeavor is to establish a regular and consistent standard to measure the
successful completion of this mission. In the largest sense, each person entering a One Stop Center will
be served and directed toward their employment goals. The success of this system is measured by:





Individuals entering the One Stop with a goal of procuring employment, or improving their work
skills;
Establishing an assessment of current capabilities as well as potential skill sets;
Provide case workers who will, by using services available throughout the integrated system,
direct appropriate individuals to demand industries and occupations;
Referral to the appropriate agency or organization;
Success by credentialing, followed by job placement with a self-sufficient wage and benefits.
By utilizing the most appropriate career path, time and resources will be saved for the individual job
seeker and the system. Skilled workers will be supplied for emerging demand occupations in business
and industry. Employers will reduce initial training costs since initial hires will reach full performance at
a faster rate. Incumbent workers will also keep up with technology advances, allowing them to keep their
present job or advance in the workplace, thus cutting turnover costs, and as current workers advance,
more entry level positions will become available. In addition, information will be available to link
students with internships, co-op programs, and similar employment situations. This effort will assist in
retraining our next generation(s).
Section I.
Executive Summary
The Eastern Panhandle and Potomac Highlands region of West Virginia, known as the Region VII
Workforce Investment Board includes the counties of Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson,
Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton. County populations based on the 2010 Census range from 7,390 persons
in Pendleton County to 103,854 persons in Berkeley County. The latest U.S. Census data places Berkeley
County as the second most populous county in West Virginia while Pendleton County shows a population
loss. The overall population of the area has grown at a rate of approximately 20% since the 1990 Census.
In 1990, the total population in Region VII was 179,961. The 2010 population of Workforce Investment
Area 7 is 255,722. The total civilian labor force in Workforce Investment Area 7 for January 2012 was
4
110,780 of which 102,290 were employed and 8,490 were unemployed. The unemployment rate for
Region 7 as of January 2012 was 7.6 percent, compared to 10 percent a year ago. The largest growth
industry in Region 7 is Merchant Wholesalers and Durable Goods with an estimated annual growth rate of
6.34% and job openings estimated at 983 from 2006 to 2016. The second largest growth industry is
Educational Services with a 1.01% annual growth rate and an estimated 833 job openings from 2006 to
2016. Ambulatory Health Care Services is the third largest growth industry in Region 7. This industry
sector expects a 2.62% annual growth rate and 617 job openings over the same ten year span.
In recent years, the Eastern Panhandle has been one of the fastest growing regions in the state with
services, government, trade, manufacturing and agriculture employing most of the active labor force.
However, the recent Recession has led to a strikingly different scenario for Region 7. Unemployment
data as of January 2011 reflects an increase from 4.7 percent to 10 percent over a three year period. More
recently, the unemployment rate as of January 2012 has dropped to 7.6 percent. This dip in the
unemployment rate has optimistic economists anticipating a period of strong growth and economic
recovery for 2012. However, other experts predict much more modest recovery for 2012 and an economic
recovery period that may take years if not decades before we see the type of growth we enjoyed in the
early and mid-2000s.
Historically, Region 7 has demonstrated one of the lowest unemployment rates in West Virginia. As of
February 2012, the national unemployment rate was 8.3%. West Virginia’s unemployment rate stood at
7.2% as of February 2012. This is consistent with the 7.6% unemployment rate experienced by Region 7.
However, it is worth noting that the job losses brought on in the last few years due to the global recession
have impacted Region 7 more severely than other areas of the state and the nation as a whole. As
previously noted, Region 7 routinely had the lowest unemployment rates in the state. The region also
enjoyed an unemployment rate well below the national average. In today’s Region 7 this is not the case.
The altered employment landscape in Region 7 is largely due to the declining manufacturing industry as a
whole. Job loss in this area can be attributed to foreign market competition and the lack of disposable
income consumers have to place orders.
In less than five years Workforce Investment Area 7 has seen Total Employment decrease of 113,600 in
2007 to 102,290 as of January 2012. This shows 11,310 jobs lost in the region in less than five years.
During the same time period the Total Unemployment has nearly doubled in Region 7. There was an
average of 4,500 unemployed persons in 2007 compared to 8,490 unemployed persons in January 2012.
This marks an increase of 3,990 unemployed individuals.
According to the February 2011 West Virginia Economic Summary provided by the Labor Market
Information team at WorkForce West Virginia; Merchant Wholesalers (+983), Educational Services
(+833), and Ambulatory Health Care Services (+617) are the top three projected “Growth Industries” in
Region VII. This study is based on actual employment numbers and projections from 2006 through 2016.
During that same time period the top three “Declining Industries” in Region VII are Gasoline Stations (148), Printing & Related Support Activities (-146), and Construction of Buildings (-143). Overall, the
projection calls for growth over the same ten year base period.
This February 2011 report is somewhat conflicting, especially considering the latest five year trend
clearly demonstrates a loss of nearly 9,000 jobs in the region. While there is still time to reverse this trend
since the projection was on a ten year basis, one might conclude that the study was an optimistic forecast
rather than a completely realistic one.
5
NAICS
Growth Industries (top 15)
Estimated
2008
Employment
Projected
2018
Employment
Growth
Rate
Numeric
Change
622
Hospitals
3,970
4,412
1.06
442
621
Ambulatory Health Care Services
2,265
2,671
1.66
406
722
Food Services and Drinking Places
4,921
5,298
0.74
377
623
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
2,049
2,416
1.66
367
713
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
1,887
2,171
1.41
284
Federal Government, excluding Post Office
2,661
2,915
0.92
254
611
Educational Services
8,444
8,670
0.26
226
236
Construction of Buildings
1,073
1,285
1.82
212
238
Specialty Trade Contractors
2,028
2,230
0.95
202
541
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
2,294
2,423
0.55
129
624
Social Assistance
1,451
1,565
0.76
114
2,700
2,783
0.30
83
2,573
2,653
0.31
80
2,511
2,589
0.31
78
73
813
Local Government, excluding Education and Hospitals
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar
Org
452
General Merchandise Stores
721
Accommodation
NAICS
Declining Industries (top 15)
1,363
1,436
0.52
Estimated
2008
Employment
Projected
2018
Employment
Growth
Rate
Numeric
Change
337
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
1,218
1,013
-1.83
-205
522
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
1,306
1,228
-0.61
-78
323
Printing and Related Support Activities
478
402
-1.72
-76
321
Wood Product Manufacturing
970
896
-0.79
-74
812
Personal and Laundry Services
522
464
-1.17
-58
333
Machinery Manufacturing
525
470
-1.10
-55
212
Mining (except Oil and Gas)
408
355
-1.38
-53
Postal Service
445
405
-0.94
-40
327
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
494
459
-0.73
-35
517
Telecommunications
333
304
-0.91
-29
325
Chemical Manufacturing
341
317
-0.73
-24
442
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores
235
211
-1.07
-24
332
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
224
200
-1.13
-24
447
Gasoline Stations
916
894
-0.24
-22
445
Food and Beverage Stores
1,906
1,889
-0.09
-17
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board (WIB) has two comprehensive WorkForce West Virginia
Career Centers (One-Stops). Moorefield and Martinsburg, WV serve as the strategic locations for the
Career Centers. The One-Stops provide all three WIA tiers of service (core, intensive, and training),
either on-site, through referral, or through the use of computer technology. The Martinsburg One-Stop
focuses on serving employers and job seekers in the counties of Berkeley, Jefferson, Morgan, and parts of
Hampshire County. The Moorefield One-Stop site serves employers and job seekers in the counties of
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton counties. The One-Stop partners have formed
Management Consortiums at each Career Center. The Management Consortiums provide leadership and
guidance to the Career Centers. This management system has alleviated problems by having on-site
partners who contribute significantly to the One-Stop System.
6
The WIB continues to identify business as the primary customer of the WorkForce West Virginia service
delivery network. The Career Center system has an active Business Service Team (BST) with the primary
task of working with all area employers to identify workforce needs and other ancillary needs of
employers to keep them competitive, as well as prepare them for being competitive in the growing global
economy. Businesses are very active and display a leading role on the Region VII Workforce Investment
Board. Through business interaction on each WIB Committee, business needs are identified and discussed
by all members including mandated and optional partners, and area Training Providers, to meet business
needs.
Short-term trainings will be based on employer needs and such training programs will result in a
recognized certification issued by the training provider, recognized by both business and industry.
Additionally, the WIB will utilize a State recognized assessment tool, WorkKeys, as its primary skill
assessment tool for worker skill certification. The T.A.B.E. will continue to be standard educational
assessment utilized for WIA clients seeking skills upgrades or training.
The WIB and WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers continue to develop external agency partnerships
to expand Career Center services to better equip both businesses and job seekers with the education and
workforce skills needed in the modern day workforce. Partnering with other agencies provides services
such as the Department of Health and Human Resource’s Strategic Planning in Occupational Knowledge
for Employment and Success (SPOKES), Key Train, Adult Basic Education, and many other partner Core
Services. County economic development agencies are playing a vital role in connecting Workforce
Investment activities with both local economic development and business initiatives.
The Local Elected Officials (LEO) and the Region VII Workforce Investment Board submitted a Request
for Proposals for administrative and fiscal entity in January of 2011. The bidder’s conference was held
January 19, 2011 at the Berkeley County Commissioner’s office. Proposals were due by February 10,
2011. Three prospective bidders submitted proposals for consideration. Currently, the evaluation team is
still considering the proposals. The WIB and LEOs unanimously selected Eastern West Virginia
Community Action Agency as the Fiscal and Administrative agent for the Region VII Workforce
Investment Board beginning July 1, 2011. This contract may be extended each year for two years. See
Attachment C for a copy of the current EWVCAA/WIB contract.
There will be a mandatory 30-day public comment period allowing all citizens the opportunity to
comment on the Region VII Workforce Investment Board strategic Plan. Written comments will be
accepted and submitted with the Plan to WorkForce West Virginia.
A Youth Council has been established to develop, implement, and oversee the year round youth academic
and occupation learning activities. The council requires that all youth activities be closely linked to local
labor market needs and with other community youth programs and services. Youth programs include
activities that promote youth development and citizenship, such as leadership development through
interacting with business mentors and voluntary community services opportunities, adult mentoring and
follow up, and targeted opportunities for youth living in high poverty areas. As of July 1, 2010 the Region
7 Youth Council and Workforce Investment Board accepted the proposal from United Way of the Eastern
Panhandle, Inc. to offer WIA Youth Services within Region 7.
Although much has been accomplished, further development is needed to meet the changing needs of the
modern day workforce. Community coordination, support and assistance for common goals and efforts
among business, economic development, education institutions, and the One-Stops must continue to
evolve. The gap between businesses and job training must continue, daily, to be bridged to best meet the
needs of local employers. The continuous growth of the One-Stop Business Service Team (BST) should
help bridge these gaps.
7
One of the obstacles in fully developing the planned WorkForce West Virginia Career Center delivery
service network in Region VII is the lack of mandated partners contributing to the Career Center
operating costs. This directly impacts all service integration and hinders the use of a well-coordinated and
documented participant referral system. These areas have the full commitment of the WIB, LEOs and the
Management Consortium members to move forward in building modern Career Centers in the Eastern
Panhandle and Potomac Highlands of West Virginia. However, the WIB may be required to call upon the
assistance of WorkForce West Virginia and the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT) to further develop
full partnerships within the Career Centers.
The accomplishments to date in Region VII are due to the vision and commitment of the Local Elected
Officials, the Workforce Investment Board, the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center Consortiums, the
many workforce partners, and the leadership of WorkForce West Virginia. Continued focus will remain
on further developing the area’s seamless comprehensive service delivery network to keep businesses
competitive in an ever-changing global economy. In addition to business services, the Career Centers
will remain committed to developing employment and re-employment strategies for individuals that are
without jobs. Such strategies include but are not limited to: training, subsidized employment programs,
resume writing workshops, interview skills workshops, assistance with job searches, etc.
Section II. Industry Profile for Region VII West Virginia
A. Industry Profile for Region VII West Virginia
Before examining the industries within the Region VII counties, it is important to note that the region is a
large exporter of workers to neighboring counties and states. In 2010, just over half of all employed
Region VII residents (50.7%, or over 51,000 individuals) worked outside of the region, with many of
those commuting to jobs in and near the Washington DC area. 21% of the region’s workers have work
locations that are more than 50 miles from their homes (this includes both in-region and out-region
commuting).
8
Workers commute outside the region for a wide variety of jobs, and concentrations of industry type
between people who both live and work within the region and those who live in the region but work
elsewhere are generally very similar. That said, jobs in construction and professional, scientific and
technical services industries are slightly more concentrated in workers who leave the region. Jobs in
“bedroom community” industries such as education, health care and social assistance, and
accommodations and food services are slightly more concentrated in workers who remain in the region.
In terms of jobs within Region VII only, in 2012, 25% of all jobs were in the government sector (20,462
jobs). This includes federal, state and local and government. Nearly 8,500 of these jobs (10% of all jobs)
are in education, such as local K-12 schools and state colleges/universities. Other large industries are
service based, such as health care and social assistance (12%), retail trade (11%) and accommodation and
food services (11%).
Health Care Services (NAICS 621-623) is an important industry across the entire region, with 9% of all
jobs. Counties with particularly high percentages of employment in health care include Morgan (13%),
Hampshire (12%), and Pendleton and Berkeley (both 10%). This industry will only become more
important in years to come, as employment is projected to grow by 22% through 2022, with over 8,800
jobs total. Health care occupations are both significant sources of employment in the region, and
projected to grow, with 5 of the 11 largest growing occupations being health care related, such as
registered nurses, nursing aides, and home health care aides.
Other key industries tend to be concentrated within particular counties. For instance, manufacturing
makes up 9% of total jobs in the region, but different counties and areas specialize in different kinds of
manufacturing.
 Nearly 40% of jobs in Hardy County are in manufacturing, including 1,800 jobs in food
manufacturing (NAICS 311). This accounts for 94% of all food manufacturing jobs in Region
VII. Food manufacturing dominates Hardy County, where 28% of all jobs are in that industry,
and it has a location quotient of 28.5, meaning that employment in food manufacturing is 28.5
times more concentrated within Hardy County than in the nation as a whole. The vast majority of
this employment is with a single employer, Pilgrim’s Pride. Food manufacturing employment is
projected to decline slightly through 2022.
 The Wood Products cluster (consisting of NAICS 113 – logging & forestry, NAICS 321 – wood
product manufacturing and NAICS 337 – furniture manufacturing) has been a historically
important cluster in the region, particularly in the Potomac Highlands region, with a location
quotient of 8.9 in 2012. However, while employment is relatively more concentrated here than in
the nation, Wood Products jobs only account for around 3.5% of all jobs in those counties.
Additionally, since 2004 there have been sharp declines, particularly in Grant county, where
wood products manufacturing employment has declined by nearly 50%, and in Hardy County,
where furniture manufacturing has declined by more than 50%. Further steep declines are
projected for these two counties, fueling an over projected decline of 25% for the cluster in the
region through 2022.
 Transportation equipment manufacturing (NAICS 336) is important in Mineral County (13% of
total jobs in the county) with a small 4% decline projected through 2022.
 No other counties had more than 5% employment in any single 3-digit manufacturing sector.
Elsewhere in the region, mining is important in Grant County, where 8% of all employment is in Mining
(NAICS 212) or Support Activities for Mining (NAICS 213), with a 7% decline projected through 2022.
9
Key industries in Pendleton County include animal production and truck transportation, both with 5% of
all jobs in the industry.
The Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services industry (NAICS 518) has a location quotient (LQ) of
3.6 for the region, but this is driven by just two counties, with Berkeley having a LQ of 3.5 and Mineral
having an LQ of 17.8 thanks to an IBM data processing facility.
Another industry with a high regional location quotient is Accommodations (NAICS 721), at 3.3. This
industry is particularly strong in Jefferson County, with a location quotient of 12.0, but it is important in
other counties in the region as well, with links to the general tourism industry.
B. Other Targeted Industries or Business
As identified herein, Region VII is made up of two distinct areas, one being industry heavy and skirting
the Washington DC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) while the five western counties of the region
consist of mainly wood, agriculture and agriculture food processing (i.e. poultry farming and processing).
However, both areas have potential growth in other business or industry segments, such as information
technology. These options are being pursued by economic developers throughout the region.
Healthcare. Healthcare is expected to grow in the state. Of the top fifteen occupations projected to
grow in the state of West Virginia, twelve of these are in the healthcare industry. Of the top twenty
occupations projected to grow in Region VII, ten of these are in the healthcare industry. Region VII
continues to explore training opportunities for healthcare professionals. Working closely with training
providers and healthcare employers allows Region VII to identify potential areas of need within this
employment sector.
Tourism. Tourism is yet to be fully recognized in its ability to be a larger contributor to regional growth
and income. Many areas of the region are known for their beauty, serenity, sporting abundance,
hospitality, folklore, and simply their ability to draw visitors from all over the east coast of the United
States. The region has four distinct seasons, with noticeable climate distinctions within the region. For
instance, in the Allegheny Mountains, you may find several inches of snow and blustery weather and only
twelve miles away in the flatlands of the Potomac Highlands you will have no snowfall and temperatures
ranging from 5 degrees to 15 degrees warmer. In a day’s time, one can enjoy trout fishing in the morning
and skiing in the afternoon and evening. This is but a sample of the abundance of year round activities
that can greatly enhance the region’s tourism market, if properly marketed. There are numerous bed and
breakfast “homes” throughout the region. More hotels and motels are being built in anticipation of the
expansion of the West Virginia Corridor H Interstate System, which will connect the western part of the
region with Interstate 81 in Virginia. Along this new corridor, distribution is expected to grow like that of
the industry along the I-81 and I-68 corridor near Martinsburg, WV. Building of the Corridor has already
prompted communities to start planning and building Industrial Parks to accommodate business that will
be willing to move into the western counties of the region, as well as along the approximate 100 miles of
new interstate highway.
Impact of Plant Closures. The region has been highly impacted by plant closures and downsizing
over the past five years. Among these are American Woodmark, the abrupt closure of AB&C Group and
Rayloc in Hancock, Maryland. Several other layoffs have occurred in the region that impacted 30 workers
or less. Many of the workers in the region leave their respective counties and state to find self-sustaining
employment in neighboring states. Local economic developers, community and technical schools,
chambers of commerce, and the WIB, to name a few, are all working together to attract new industry to
the region and retain its current skilled workforce. Berkeley County was able to claim an enormous
10
success in their continued efforts to attract jobs to the region. Macy’s Department Stores built a vast 30+
acre warehouse and distribution center in Berkeley County. This brought nearly 2000 jobs to Berkeley
County between late 2011 and 2012. This gave much needed relief to people that have been faced with
prolonged unemployment and very few job opportunities. The jobs created by the opening of the Macy’s
distribution center were a welcome sign that true economic growth and recovery were taking shape in our
region.
Areas of Potential Growth. In the past six years, hundreds of windmills have been erected in the
Potomac Highlands. Several hundred more are projected in the near future. Due to the increasing demand
for electric in the Metropolitan D.C. and Northern Virginia Area the electric production from the
windmills will continue to be a growth area for Region VII. Windmills bring two distinct job clusters with
them. Construction workers of all types are needed for installation and maintenance workers are needed to
maintain their operation. Other “green jobs” such as weatherization, are projected to be growth industries
in both the national and regional market places.
C. Current Worker Skills and Characteristics
Region VII Demographic Overview. Region VII consists of nearly 3500 square miles, or 14.4
percent of West Virginia's total land area of 24,228 square miles. Eighty percent of the region's land area
comes from the Potomac Highlands sub-region. Of West Virginia's 1,852,994 residents (as of 2010),
255,722 (13.8 percent) live in Region VII. The three most populous counties in Region VII reside in
Jefferson, Berkeley, and Mineral. Since 2000, West Virginia’s population has grown 2.5 percent,
according to 2010 U.S. Census figures. This modest increase is slightly below national averages for
growth; however, it is important to note that the population increase within the state has been largely
concentrated in Region VII. For example, over the last ten years Berkeley County has experienced a
tremendous 37.5% population boom. Berkeley County remains the most populated county in the region
and the second most populated county in the state. It is worth noting that Jefferson, Morgan, Hardy, and
Hampshire Counties also experienced population booms over the last ten years. Seven out of eight
counties in Region VII experienced population increases. Five of those counties grew at or above the state
and national rate. Pendleton County was the only county within Region VII to show any population
decline (-454 persons).
The 2010 Census provides some data on migration patterns within Region VII and its neighboring areas.
For instance, 21 percent of Jefferson County’s population resided in another state in 2009. The other
Eastern Panhandle counties also received a large number of migrants from other states. Residents of the
remaining counties in Region VII, except for Grant County, also exceeded both the national (2.6 percent)
and state (3.0) rates of in-migration from other states.
Over 75 percent of West Virginia residents in 2010 claimed to have been born in the state. On the other
hand, except for Grant County, the counties of Region VII are much more likely to have residents that
were not born in West Virginia. This ranges from Pendleton County with 44.6 percent born outside the
state to Hampshire County at 61.3 percent. Among the U.S. population, only 27.7 percent claim to live in
a state other than that in which they were born.
Among Region VII counties, the mean commuting times all exceeded the national mean commuting time
of 25.2 minutes. The average commute time for residents of Region VII is 28.7 minutes. Hampshire
County residents have the longest average commute within the region, averaging 39.7 minutes, while
Hardy County residents enjoy the briefest average commute of 26.0 minutes. These numbers reflect the
large amount of Region VII residents that commute to D.C. and Northern Virginia for work as well as the
concentration of manufacturing and poultry processing jobs within Hardy County.
11
About 60 percent of Eastern Panhandle residents work within their own region. Slightly higher
proportions (63.9 percent) of Potomac Highlanders live and work in the same region. There is very little
employment transfer between the two regions. As might be expected, a much higher proportion of Eastern
Panhandle residents (19.9 percent) commute to the remaining areas of the Washington, DC PMSA than
do residents from the Potomac Highlands (3.1 percent). Among all Region VII employed residents, 39.3
percent work in the Eastern Panhandle, 22.6 percent work in the Potomac Highlands, and 14.0 percent
commute to the non-West Virginia portion of the Washington, DC PMSA. The remaining workers
commute to a variety of other areas for their jobs. Interestingly, only 10.3 percent of residents from areas
outside of Region VII commute to the region for their employment. So, nearly 90 percent of all Region
VII jobs belong to the region’s residents.
Transportation
Public transit is not an important part of Region VII’s transportation infrastructure. Despite 12.5 percent
of the Washington, D.C. PMSA and 5.0 percent of U.S. residents claiming to use some form of public
transit to get to work, Region VII counties had public transit usage levels less than 1 percent. (Only 0.9
percent of West Virginians claimed to use public transit as a means to get to work in 2010.) Only
Jefferson County, at 2.6 percent, posted a figure anywhere near the national average. Perhaps to make up
for the lack of public transit, commuters in Region VII rely more on carpooling as a means to travel to
work. In fact, every county in the region had higher rates of carpooling than either the state, the nation,
the surrounding states, or the Washington, D.C. PMSA.
Housing
At 74.3 percent, West Virginia has a very high rate of housing that is owner-occupied. In other words,
apartment dwelling is far less popular in West Virginia than in other states. In contrast, the national rate of
owner-occupied housing is 66.9 percent. Except for Berkeley County, all other counties in Region VII
have owner-occupied housing rates exceeding the state average. Hardy, Grant, Hampshire, and Morgan
counties all have rates above 80 percent. Perhaps one reason for such high rates of owner occupation is
the relatively low housing prices both in Region VII and in West Virginia in general.
Although median home values in all Region VII counties exceed the state median home value of $91,400,
they all fall short of the U.S. median value of $185,400, and are far below the value of $440,500 posted
by Washington D.C. Jefferson County, at $116,700, is the only county to exceed $100,000. Within the
Washington, DC PMSA, Berkeley County has the lowest median housing value, with Jefferson County
having the third lowest value among counties. Only Manassas Park and Warren County in Virginia have
lower median home values. In contrast, three cities and two counties in Virginia, and two counties in
Maryland have median home values that exceed $190,000. No Potomac Highlands County has a median
home value that is above $79,000.
Mobile homes are far more prevalent as a means of housing in Region VII than in the U.S. This could
partially explain the region’s lower housing prices. With rates exceeding West Virginia’s 16.9 percent,
Hampshire, Hardy, Grant, Pendleton, and Berkeley counties have between 18.6 percent and 22.4 percent
of their respective housing as mobile homes.
In addition, only two counties in Region VII have a median gross monthly rent that exceeds the state
median rent of $401. At $453, Jefferson County has the highest monthly rent in Region VII, with
Berkeley Count having a median monthly rent of $409. However, these still trail the national rate of $602
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by over $100 and the Washington, D.C. PMSA rent of $811 by much more. The low housing prices and
monthly rents may partially explain the longer commuting times addressed above.
Housing Bubble
Foreclosures have hit Region VII particularly hard. According to Realtytrac.com, as of February 2012 one
in every 3,758 homes in Jefferson County was in foreclosure. At the time, Jefferson County had the
highest rate of home foreclosures in West Virginia. As of March 2013, one in every 5,465 homes in
Jefferson County is in foreclosure. While foreclosure rates have improved slightly in Jefferson County,
Region VII remains plagued by foreclosures. Four of the five highest rates of foreclosure in West Virginia
are counties within Region VII. Berkeley County has the highest rate, 1 in every 2329 homes, Grant
County has the second highest rate, 1 in every 3181 homes, Morgan County is third, 1 in every 3230
homes, Hampshire County is fourth, 1 in every 4521 homes, and Cabell County is fifth, 1 in every 4614
homes. This information clearly demonstrates the housing market and job market alike have not
rebounded from the economic devastation inflicted by the Great Recession. Nationally, the threat of mass
foreclosures appears to be the most serious in states with highly speculative real estate markets, such as
California, Florida, Arizona, New York and the District of Columbia.
Population Age
Berkeley and Jefferson counties each have a much lower median age than any other county in Region VII.
This, along with other data on the counties’ respective population age distributions, suggests that
Berkeley and Jefferson are home to a larger proportion of younger families. Although the median age of
Region VII cannot be calculated, based on the median ages from the component counties, and their
respective populations, we can estimate that this region's median age is lower than that of West Virginia,
but much higher than the age of the U.S., the Washington, DC PMSA, or either of the region’s border
states.
Income
The Eastern Panhandle dominates Region VII's population and income levels. Although
Berkeley and Jefferson counties contain 55.6 percent of the region's population; they have 61.9 percent of
the total personal income. So, it may not be surprising that these counties have much higher levels of per
capita personal income than the other six counties. Five of the Region’s counties have very similar
income levels, all hovering in the $19,000 range, while Hampshire County lingers far behind at $16,591.
Personal income is a broad measure of income flowing to residents within a region. It consists of earnings
from work (wages and fringe benefits), asset income (dividends, interest, and rent), and transfer income
(Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and welfare payments). Per capita personal income is computed by
dividing the total personal income of a region by its population.
Region VII did not keep up with the nation or surrounding states with respect to per capita personal
income. At 4.4 percent annual growth, the region's per capita income trailed the income growth posted by
Maryland, Virginia, the Washington, DC PMSA, and the nation as a whole. These regions all had income
growth exceeding five percent. However, this region still surpassed West Virginia's annual per capita
personal income growth of 4.1 percent. Since we use the growth rates of nominal per capita income for
all states and regions for our comparisons, the inflation adjustment is not necessary.
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It is important to remember that per capita income depends on a region's total personal income and its
population. Since Region VII's population grew so quickly, it was difficult for personal income to match
these growth rates. The population growth can be largely attributed to the in-migration of young families.
Since wage earnings usually grow with experience, young families typically earn less than betterestablished families. Except for Grant County, the remaining counties in the region have median
household incomes exceeding that of West Virginia. Jefferson County's median household income of
$44,374 is even larger than the U.S. level of $41,994. However, the other counties are far behind. Median
household income differs from per capita personal income by concentrating on income that is available to
households, not individuals. Also, household income excludes in-kind payments, like Medicare and
Medicaid. It tends to be higher than per capita income in areas where households have many non-working
members, such as dependent children and the elderly.
Poverty Level
Region VII's poverty rate in 2012 was 17.4 percent, slightly below the national rate of poverty of 14.3
percent. West Virginia's poverty rate was 17.4 percent in 2012, one of the highest figures in the nation.
Although Eastern Panhandle counties had less poverty (11.0 percent) than their Potomac Highlands
neighbors (14.5 percent), each respective county was at least 1.5 percentage points below the state
poverty rate.
D. Education / Training Capacity to Meet Current Needs
West Virginia ranks among the bottom of the 50 states and Washington, DC with respect to the
percentage of the population that has earned a bachelor's degree or higher. This is important because
educational attainment is a major determinant of a worker's potential wages. Region VII's rate of
educational attainment (14.5 percent) even falls short of the state's level of 14.8 percent. Jefferson County
has the highest percentage of its population with a bachelor's degree (21.6) or higher, followed by
Berkeley County (15.1 percent). The remaining counties fall far short, with no other county exceeding 12
percent. As the wage gap between college and high school-educated workers widens, the relative
importance of a college degree continues to increase.
E. Current Resources.
Training and education resources are abundant within the region. Post-Secondary education and
vocational centers are also located near the adjoining states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Agencies within the region include educational entities, private-training organizations, apprenticeshiptraining programs sponsored by the U. S. Department of Labor, and training provided through business,
i.e., On-the-Job Training and/or Customized Training.
Land Grant University and Community and Technical Colleges. Training institutions within
the region include an extension of West Virginia University known as Potomac State College located in
Keyser, WV. This institution provides both two and four year degrees in traditional areas of study.
Shepherd University, located in Shepherdstown, in Jefferson County, also offers two and four year
degrees. Blue Ridge Community & Technical College (BRCTC), located in Berkeley County, and
Eastern West Virginia Community & Technical College (EWVCTC), located in Hardy County offer two
year degree programs, technical education and certificate programs. Blue Ridge Community and
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Technical College primarily serves residents in Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties, but also
students from surrounding states. Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College serves Grant,
Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral and Pendleton counties. Additionally, the school serves Tucker County,
which is outside the Region VII Workforce Investment Area. Each school works with area employers,
economic development agencies, chambers of commerce, and the Region VII Workforce Investment
Board to determine and meet employer needs.
Other Training Services. Other Training Providers within Region VII include the Vocational and
Technical Schools of James Rumsey, Mineral County, South Branch and Hampshire County. These
vocational schools offer a wide variety of educational and vocational opportunities including General
Education Diploma (GED), Adult Basic Education (ABE); entry level construction, electrical, auto
mechanic, and healthcare training, as well as refresher courses in basic word processing software and
computer skills.
Training Funds. Funding for training can come from many sources such as self-pay, scholarships,
grants, loans, and other payment forms. Many of the clients assisted through the WorkForce West
Virginia Career Centers may require financial assistance from second or third party sources. Depending
on the client’s needs the partner service can dictate the funding stream that can be utilized by the client.
However, in some cases a client may be eligible for multiple programs and multiple funding avenues.
These particular cases end up in collaboration between the agencies to eliminate service duplication, thus
ensuring available monies can be more efficiently used for each client.
Workforce Investment Act funds are limited in the Region and will be used as the last source of training
funds for any Workforce Investment Act eligible client. It remains unclear what impact this will have on
the overall economic recovery efforts. The WIB has established maximum funding limits on each of its
training mechanisms that will be described later in this Plan. Case Managers from each partner located in
the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers are trained on the services of each partner and can refer
clients to the appropriate agency for services and possible training dollars.`123456 In some instances,
agencies do not provide training dollars but can assist the WIA eligible client with child care expenses,
transportation needs; dental work, tools, housing, and assist the individual overcome other barriers to
employment.78
Demand Occupations. The WIB has approved specific area Training Providers that provide training
in identified regional demand occupations. The employment forecast for Years 2010 through 2020
published by the Labor Market Information staff at WorkForce West Virginia is used as the base line for
determining demand occupations in Region VII. A copy of this demand occupation list is provided as
Attachment K. In addition, economic development agencies and businesses are routinely surveyed to
determine other needs as a result of new and emerging businesses. The assistance of the WorkForce West
Virginia Career Centers’ Business Service Team (BST) is instrumental in assisting the WIB identify
needs of employers.
Other Training Emphasis. The Region VII WIB has noted the popularity and success of short-term
training among WIA clients for some time. Focusing on short-term training (defined by the Region VII
WIB as one year or less) allows the WIA clients to re-enter the workforce at a faster rate without
continued disruption to their lives. It also provides Region VII the opportunity to serve more WIA
customers with training services. Region VII will continue to collaborate with our training providers and
business customers to identify what short-term trainings are valuable.
Currently approved Region VII Training Providers include:
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Allegheny College of Maryland
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Garrett College
James Rumsey Technical Institute
Marshall Community and Technical College
Mineral County Technical Center
PIA – Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
Potomac State College
Road Pro
Shepherd University
Valley College of Technology
Training Programs offered by Training Providers not approved by Region VII, but approved by other WV
WIBs, may be used by Region VII residents if the Training Program is a Region VII Demand Occupation.
Region VII residents that desire Training not on the Region VII Demand Occupation list but on the West
Virginia Demand Occupation list may be approved through a waiver process contingent on approval by
the Region VII Workforce Investment Board Executive Director.
Section III. The Desired State of the Workforce
A. Local Area Vision, Mission and Goals
Vision Statement: The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will provide a fully integrated OneStop delivery system for workforce development meeting and exceeding the needs of the employers and
citizens - a diverse group of adults, dislocated workers, displaced homemakers, and youth of Region VII
in Eastern West Virginia. We are the first place that employers and employees go for their employment
and training needs. We provide all job seekers with:
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Training
Education
Supportive Services
Resume Writing
Interview Skills
Job Placement
Follow-up Activities
Referral Services
We provide business and industry with:
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Labor Market Information
Business Tax Incentives
Job Matching
Employee Screening
Training and Education of New, Current, and Future Workers
Funding opportunities for business needs
Identify the needs of employers and industry
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We work in cooperation with Education Entities, Economic Developers and Chambers of Commerce to:
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Promote Region Resources
Identify Demand Occupations
Provide and Distribute Market Survey Data
Attract Business into the Region
Fully Train Job Seekers to Obtain Self-Sustaining Income
We are recognized as involved and accountable leaders in the region - beyond bureaucracy - for career
advancement for the future.
Mission Statement: The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will partner with business and
industry, economic development agencies, and Training Providers to educate, train, and place appropriate
skilled personnel in available jobs specific to employer needs. The Board will help maintain the highest
level of economic development in the state through the local WorkForce West Virginia Career Center
system by:
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Providing a choice of education and employment opportunities to help keep our
youth in the state and attract youth from surrounding states;
Helping individuals focus on career tracks to help them realize their full potential;
Promoting jobs that support a self-sufficient livable wage;
Promoting overall outreach to the community about WIA services;
Providing training funds to improve workforce skills for area business and industry;
and
Refer One-Stop clients to various needed partner services to overcome employment
barriers.
Guiding Principles: Guiding principles are what we value and believe to be true. They are the
behaviors and attributes we hold in high regard in all that we do and say at the WorkForce West Virginia
Career Centers:
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Business will be the primary customer of the WorkForce West Virginia Career
Centers;
Provide equal opportunity for all without regard of race, gender, or educational
attainment;
Maintain the highest quality of services in all we provide;
Provide opportunities for all individuals to reach their fullest potential;
Maximize the use of our resources by maintaining fiscal responsibility;
Maintain the integrity of individuals while maintaining confidentiality of those
individuals; and
Be responsive to the needs of employers and job seekers on a day-to-day basis
through the one-stop delivery system.
Region VII LWIB Goals:
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Develop a workforce that is responsive to changing economic conditions through
nimble and effective workforce training programs that will increase work readiness
certifications statewide by 20 percent.
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Activities: 1) The Region VII WIB will provide WorkKeys Testing to all WIA
registered Dislocated Workers and Adults. 2) Eligible WIA Youth will be WorkKeys
tested prior to exiting the Youth Program.
Develop a broader pool of appropriately prepared natural gas support and
downstream industry workers in West Virginia to take full advantage of economic
opportunities in the emerging Marcellus Shale industry by working with primary
education, Career and Technical Centers, and Community and Technical Colleges to
develop statewide curriculum to meet industry demands.
Activities: 1) The Region VII WIB supports the State’s efforts to realize this goal.
However, there is currently no Marcellus Shale activity in our region. Therefore,
Region VII WIB will support clients in Marcellus Shale training and employment
when specified and approved in their Individualized Employment Plan (IEP). 2) The
Region VII WIB will support regional training providers efforts to develop training
programs congruent with the Marcellus Shale employment demands should drilling
or fracking activity commence in our local area.
Promote technical training and education among students and job seekers to
adequately prepare West Virginia workers for highly technical work environment. In
collaboration with Community and Technical Colleges and Career and Technical
Education centers, the state will increase the number of people receiving technical
training by 10 percent.
Activities: 1) The Region VII WIB will continue to receive referrals from partner
agencies including Community and Technical Colleges and Career & Vocational
Centers. The LWIB continues to support our regional training provider’s efforts to
train in USDOL identified Demand Occupations that require specialized degrees,
certifications, and/or professional licenses. 2) The Region VII WIB will continue to
have regular quarterly meetings with regional training providers in order to keep the
lines of communication open and active throughout the WIA process. Local training
providers remain interested in seeking the support of the WIB for newly formed
programs. 3) The WIB will continue to offer written letters of support to approved
regional training providers that are seeking resources for the development of new
programs that meet the Demand Occupations criteria.
To ensure job development and workforce readiness is a priority throughout West
Virginia, the state will increase the number of credentials awarded through Individual
Training Accounts by 10 percent for Adults and Dislocated Workers.
Activities: 1) The Region VII Workforce Investment Board is committed to
increasing ITA and OJT participation by 10 percent. 2) The Region VII WIB will
continue to seek business partners interested in offering OJT opportunities. 3) The
Region VII WIB will continue to work with approved regional training providers to
offer insight on in-demand trainings that lead to sustainable careers. 4) The Region
VII WIB will continue to utilize our network of partners and the One-Stop Delivery
System to identify individuals eligible WIA participants.
B. Projected Employment Opportunities
A review of Attachment I, Region VII Occupational Projections: 2010-2020 lists the following as the top
twenty “growth fields” based on the number of annual new and replacement jobs:
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Office and Administrative Support Occupations18
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Sales and Related Occupations276
Food Preparation and Service Related Occupations262
Education, Training, and Library Occupations171
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations168
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations142
Personal Care and Service Occupations138
Production Occupations128
Management Occupations 97
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations79
Construction and Extraction Occupations75
Healthcare Support Occupations70
Business and Financial Operations Occupations 63
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations- 58
Computer and Mathematical Occupations47
Community and Social Service Occupations42
Protective Service Occupations40
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations- 39
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations23
Architecture and Engineering Occupations19
Forecast: 2010 - 2020
The outlook for the Region VII Workforce Investment Area depends in part on the performance of the
national and international economies. Economic recovery has proven to be slower than originally
anticipated. Geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East and domestic reluctance to drill off-shore for oil
has exacerbated the recession. Gas prices once again approach $4 a gallon as of March 2013. It is
important to note that in 2008, when most economist agree the Great Recession first took hold in the U.S.,
gas prices exceeded $4 a gallon for the first time in our history. Late 2008 and most of 2009 saw oil and
gas prices plummet and economic recovery hopes heighten. However, in late 2009 political turmoil in the
Middle East, as well as Afghanistan pushed oil prices over $100 a barrel and gas prices to nearly $4 a
gallon. Due to our nation’s dependence on foreign oil it is easy to see the correlation between oil and gas
price stability and economic recovery. Currently, crude oil is trading for $93.83 a barrel and national gas
prices are $3.69 a gallon as of March 2013. Increased transportation costs effect nearly every facet of
American lives. Whether it’s the cost of commuting to work or inflation of products related directly to the
increased cost of shipping a product into the marketplace. All of these factors as well as the overall
volatility of the oil market perpetuates a cycle of economic uncertainty.
In April 2008, the prime rate stood at 5.25%. As of March 2013, the prime rate is 3.25%. The 2 percent
cut over the last five years has been an attempt by the Federal Reserve to stave off a deeper global and
national recession. The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates several times in the recent past, but financial
market conditions continue to only show slight improvement. The cuts to prime were supposed to
encourage financial institutions to lend and consumers to buy; however, to date that methodology has not
worked, at least not at the rate the Federal Reserve had originally anticipated. Many economists speculate
that uncertainty surrounding fuel prices remains the prevailing issue stalling true economic recovery.
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Slower economic growth, the cost of war, increased homeland security spending and tax cuts have
widened the deficit to over $16.7 trillion as February 2013. Meanwhile, Congressional sequestration has
deadlocked Washington over where cutbacks on government spending should occur or if tax increases
should be introduced.
The dollar is expected to continue its current slide, with its value versus an average of industrial countries
currencies falling by 35 percent over the last decade, according to an http://www.mycgfinancial.com
report. The declining dollar and the continued loss of manufacturing impose significant challenges to the
traditional notion of the working class.
Recent dislocation data in Region VII shows evidence that manufacturing in the region is declining much
like elsewhere in the United States.
Most jobs generated in Region VII during the next five years are expected to come in the serviceproducing sectors, particularly trade, and government. Services, including health care, business services
(including computer programming and call centers), and many travel and tourism related sectors
(including hotels, motels, and racetrack/slots), are forecast to drive service-producing job growth. This is
connected to dramatic population gains in the region over the last ten years (which spurs gains in locallyoriented services, like health care). While the tourism sector is likely to grow during the forecast, it does
face competitive pressure from nearby states. This is particularly true for the racetrack/slots sector
(Charlestown Races), as Maryland discusses legalization of slots at nearby venues. Tourism could be
adversely affected by the high gasoline prices, which are not predicted to decrease dramatically in the
near future.
Most of the population growth concentrates in the Eastern Panhandle region, with expected annual gains
of 2,500 residents per year. These annual additions translate into an annual rate of growth of 1.5 percent
per year, far greater than the small losses predicted for the state, and far faster than the 0.9 percent per
year growth rate for the nation. However, upon completion of Corridor H, which will connect a major
north to south Interstate (I-81) in Virginia with a major north to south Interstate (I-79) in central West
Virginia, more population migration to include business and industry are expected to move westward
towards the Potomac Highlands counties.
Job growth in the region also drives inflation-adjusted increases in personal income. On a per capita basis,
real personal income is forecast to rise at an average annual rate of 1.6 percent per year. Corridor H’s
influence could increase the average annual rate. This is close to the state rate, but falls well below the
national rate of 2.3 percent per year. Income growth for the Eastern Panhandle is forecast to outpace gains
in the Potomac Highlands region.
Current and Future Outlook. As of this writing, there are abundant downside risks to the baseline
national forecast. These include the fact that the war with Iraq has turned out to be a more complicated
and disruptive conflict than previously expected. Political and military complications in the Middle East
have the capacity to continue to disrupt oil supplies. Many forecasters predict that oil prices will continue
to increase in the U.S. In 2008, the U.S. experienced record high fuel prices. Gasoline soared past $4.00
per gallon. Since that time gas prices have fallen to as low as $2.25 to their current price of $3.65 as of
April 2013. These events have created an economy shrouded in extreme uncertainty. As a by-product,
consumer confidence has been reduced, consumer spending has decreased, business investment plans
have been placed on hold, and stock market valuations have been dwindled. Thus most economists
remain in agreement that we are in the midst of recovering from our worst recession since the early 1990s
and perhaps the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
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For the region, this scenario will reduce, but probably not eliminate, economic growth. Export-oriented
sectors, like business services (especially call centers), tourism, and manufacturing would be most at risk.
For the Eastern Panhandle, increased federal spending on homeland security may translate into additional
opportunities in the region. In addition, the Eastern Panhandle counties are economically tied to the
Washington, D.C. PMSA. Since the PMSA specializes in professional services, research, and federal
government activities that seem likely to grow in the future, this should serve to insulate population and
income growth from some of the risks tied to geopolitical concerns. However, insulation from financial
crisis does not mean exclusion. Continued layoffs by manufacturers and less disposable income most
Americans has adversely impacted the regions tourism industry.
C. Projected Workforce Needs
Attachment K contains a listing of annual demand occupations for the Region VII Workforce Investment
Area. It shall be the practice of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board to allow eligible WIA
clients to receive training in demand occupations if the individual qualifies and funding is available. The
WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will be required to report on a monthly basis to the WIB the
number of Individual Training Accounts (ITA), On-the-Job Training placements, as well as Customized
Training placements identified by occupation to ensure supply does not exceed demand.
Various studies conducted on West Virginia’s Workforce, as well as current comments from area
business leaders, has identified that workers are not only deficient in specialized workforce skills but also
many workers lack the basic soft skills necessary to obtain and retain employment. Issues identified by
employers are relevant in both young and adult workers, however more prevalent in younger workers.
The primary deficiencies cited by employers are work attendance, communication, basic math and
reading competency, personal hygiene, work ethic and other attributes that can be more readily identified
by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration’s “Building Blocks for
Competency Models.” WIA Case Management will provide the necessary referrals to remedial training
and education needed to overcome such barriers. Referral to such programs as ABE, SPOKES, Key
Train, and others will be the standard when such barriers are identified at the case management level.
The workforce of today must be flexible, adaptable, versatile and willing to learn more than the
customary “one job for life” skill. Today, it is almost a certainty that any worker cannot go into a
business and expect to stay with that business until retirement; much less the same job functions until
retirement. The global economy, competition and new technology dictate that our workforce adapts to the
demands of business. With this adaptability comes the need for a solid “base education” from K-12. The
Workforce Investment Board, through its Youth Council and the Business Service Team at the
WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will work with area education institutions to better prepare
tomorrow’s workforce today. Emphasis will be placed on a solid base education with the need for
advanced post-secondary training or education in a demand occupation. This reality is the expectation of
the business community. Therefore, the workforce in our region, West Virginia and the nation must
realize that if they are to succeed in a competitive global market they must arm themselves with the skills
employers’ value. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will remain committed to providing
eligible customers with advanced training through ITAs, OJTs or Customized Training.
D. The Supply Pipeline
The future workforce in Region VII and in the state of West Virginia rests upon our young people. Many
of our region’s talented youth (educationally and vocationally) leave the state to find self–sufficient
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employment elsewhere. Many never return, with some only returning to retire in their later years of life.
If you talk to business owners they will tell you they cannot find qualified or dedicated workers. Are we
losing our best talent and workers to other regions or states? Many will argue this to be the case. Others
will argue that if there were ample businesses in the region which paid quality wages, many of our
talented young workers would stay or would come back after completing college. Regardless of who is
right or wrong, until every able-bodied individual that is of working age has a self-sustaining job, all
factors of economic development (education, workforce development, and economic development
agencies) have failed the community and its citizens. All stakeholders in the region must embrace more
collaboration and focus on regional development and the Region VII Workforce Investment Board will
help facilitate this move.
Every young adult must come away from high school able to read, write, and compute math at the 12th
grade level and be ready to take one of two steps for a successful future: be equipped educationally to
continue through higher education; or enter into a profession with the necessary entry level workforce
skills. A goal of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board is to work with all government and
community agencies, business and industry to prepare every youth for either continued higher education
or to have the workforce skills necessary to obtain a family sustaining income.
American workers, including those of Region VII, have allowed the workforce marketplace to pass them
by over the years. Fact: manufacturing jobs have decreased per capita in the United States since 1900.
However, many Americans have ignored this fact and allow themselves to become victim to the
conditions of the 21st century economy. In today’s global economy it is no longer realistic to believe you
can sustain a middle class life style as a laborer in a manufacturing setting. This is a fact that a large
portion of working adults have ignored for years. Current unemployment conditions indicate that working
adults have been left jobless because of plant closures or relocations to foreign countries for the purposes
of cheaper labor and/or less government regulation. A large majority of the newly unemployed persons in
Region VII lack any sort of post-secondary degree or specialized training. Without an in-demand industry
recognized degree or credential the displaced factory worker will continue to struggle to become reemployed in the global market. Bring into the mix “counter business” regulations such as NAFTA and the
situation only worsens. The families and workforce development system within our region must take the
lead in developing our youth. We are challenged with two pressing priorities: first, we must meet the
challenges of today – educating and unskilled labor pool with the training employers need; second, we
must meet the challenges of tomorrow – constant assessment and planning is required by all workforce
development professionals in order to stay in-tune with the demands of tomorrow’s competitive global
market economy.
Additionally, the region needs to be adaptive to the needs of Dislocated Workers, Displaced
Homemakers, and Low-Income Adults to ensure when the need arises for a change in work skills, the
opportunities to obtain the newly needed skills are available. Collaboration between business and industry
that are downsizing and/or closing will require all the parties of economic development (education,
workforce development, EDA, and business and industry) to come together and provide the training
modules necessary to keep these proven workers in the workforce and keep the economy strong.
Community and Technical Colleges are coming on board with new short-term curricula such as “Fast
Track” that should equip displaced workers, in a short time, with the necessary work force skills to get
them back into the area workforce. In addition the workforce development system needs to keep its finger
on the pulse of emerging industries such as “Green Energy.”
22
Section IV. Analysis and Strategic Planning for Achieving the
Desired State of the Workforce
A. Gap Analysis
The current education level in the region has been discussed in Section II. C. Additional “skill gaps” can
come forth any time a company downsizes, closes, or new technologies dictate increased skill by the
existing workforce. What has been discovered in Region VII is that both employers and job seekers do
not want to be tied down in long-term training (i.e. training longer than six (6) months). Employers
require trained employees immediately and cannot wait for potential workers to be trained via a long-term
training program. Job seekers too, especially dislocated workers and displaced homemakers, need and
want to get back into the workforce as soon as possible. In most cases, these populations have a family to
support and bills to pay. This is where the collaboration between the needs of the business and the job
seeker need to be facilitated to the area Community and Technical Colleges. Within Region VII, several
networks are now in place to alert all stakeholders in economic development of any sudden or near term
needs of both employers and job seekers. Some of these networks include the Small Business Service
Team located in the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers, Rapid Response Unit that have members
located at the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers, County Economic Developers, area Chambers of
Commerce, Local Elected Officials, and businesses and industry leaders.
Minimum Assessment Score. The WIB has established that “A WIA eligible client will not be
recommended eligible to receive WIA funded training (ITA, OJT, Customized Training, or
Contracted Training) unless the individual meets the minimum industry basic skill requirements,
whether the requirements be identified by use of the TABE, Work Keys, or any other industry
recognized skill standard assessment”. When a standard is absent, the WIB will utilize a minimum
score of 9.0 on the TABE for participants to be eligible for consideration for WIB funded training.
Participant Assessment. The WIB, through the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers, utilizes
WorkKeys and/or the TABE as assessment tools to gauge academic or skill-based aptitudes. Use of the
TABE allows for a cost effective and accurate preliminary assessment of the individual. WIA Case
Managers are then aware if an individual needs a referral to a partner service such as ABE/GDE services,
SPOKES, etc., thus enhancing the individual’s chances of scoring well on the WorkKeys assessment.
Once the TABE test has been scored, remedial training can be scheduled through additional WIA Core
and Intensive Services as needed. Upon completion of remedial training and should job placement not
take place, the individual can be assessed further by use of WorkKeys. WorkKeys assessments give
students and workers reliable, relevant information about their workplace skill levels. Three WorkKeys
tests are provided: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information. Possible
test results on each test range from a low of 1 to a high of 7. Through job profiling and research by ACT,
approximately 80% of the jobs throughout the United States require a level 3 score (entry-level skills in
many cases). The largest hurdle for many potential employees is to overcome their deficiencies in “soft
skills” (i.e. showing up for work on time, attitude, communication skills, team work, proper dress, and
other personal areas). As stated previously, a primary focus of all partner Case Managers will be to
identify such barriers during an initial assessment and future contacts, and referring the individual to the
proper support element to overcome any and all barriers to self-sustaining employment.
23
B. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board has established
strategic objectives to define steps toward fulfilling the area’s vision and mission statement. Strategic
objectives include:

Market WIA services to encourage employers to become involved and to utilize the many
services offered at the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers;

Coordinate activities/services provided by all agencies and advocate for a seamless workforce
development system by creating an integration of all partner services;

Create educational and training opportunities that meet the needs of the region’s employers;

Have active participation and involvement of all WIB members and committee members, and
rotate meeting locations throughout the region to accommodate all members creating an
integration of all stakeholders;

Continually assess the effectiveness of the WIB and One-Stop services; and

Create a partner referral process to track customer movement throughout the various partner
services to include tracking by use of the MACC, by all partners.
Achieving the goals of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board will result in a strong service
delivery system that can meet the needs of the region’s businesses and citizens. This will allow
individuals to enhance their skills for jobs in growing industry and thereby increase their employment and
income potentials. The region will develop programs and systems that effectively serve the business
community and further its ability to compete globally by providing a pool of well-trained workers. The
end result is a healthy regional economy that contributes to the sustainability of a thriving state and
national economy.
STRUCTURED ACTION PLANNNING. The WIB will use a structured process for implementing
the strategic plan to ensure the identified items are put into practice. Developing such a structured
approach is important for the following reasons:

All desired strategies are assigned and being addressed.

Responsibility and accountability are clearly defined for developing the action plan to address
each strategy.

Monitoring and tracking will be more effective.

Strategic plan implementation stays focused within the Region VII WIB.

Progress reporting (accomplishments) can be done easily.

When progress is not being made, modification or attention can be given sooner.
GENERAL TIMELINE. The Region VII WIB will submit a multi-year strategic plan and identify
appropriate timelines. This plan, while updated on an annual basis to keep it current, will be implemented
24
over a five-year horizon. The expectation is that all strategies will be addressed concurrently, however,
some will have greater efforts expanded in any given time period.
STRATEGIC PLAN ACTION INITIATIVE ASSIGNMENT TABLE. Each strategy will be
assigned to the most appropriate level of responsibility in the organization (could be assigned to an
individual, unit or team). Each strategy must have a primary owner responsible for making sure the action
is being implemented. However, the person who “owns it” may not be the person doing all of the actual
implementation. In fact, they may do part or simply lead the process. For each strategy, there may be
several discrete actions to fully implement it. An action might help achieve more than one strategy and
ultimately fulfill a targeted goal. Actions can be completed by:

An individual

Two or more individuals

A unit/area within the Region VII WIB

A team of WIB staff specifically charged to further address the strategy or take action to
implement the strategy

Contractors

Outsource to others (e.g., other agency, consultants)

Combination of the above
Not all actions can or should be done at once. Determining the priority of actions will be vital. In some
cases there are specific sequential steps needed. Also, some actions will by definition take longer to
research and develop strategies. There should be greater concern for quality outcomes that quantity.
ACTION PLAN PROCESS. Once a strategy is assigned, the individual or team should develop the
action plan for implementing said strategy. The following should serve as a suggested template for
documenting how the strategy will be defined:
1.
Overall approach / tactics to address the assigned strategy.
2.
Suggested timeframes or completion date (priority).
3.
Involvement by others (staff, external assistance, other resource people).
4.
Resources needed (beyond normal or routine).
5.
Performance outcomes (how will success be measured).
6.
Key contact person for this initiative (i.e., if team, could be team leader).
7.
If applicable, what process will be studied / improved.
8.
Special considerations or notes.
25
Section V: Local Governance
A. Local Elected Officials.
Recognizing the need for greater local implementation of federally funded training programs, the
Workforce Investment Act declared Local Elected Officials central to its implementation. Local Elected
Officials (LEOs) appoint Workforce Investment Board (WIB) members in accordance with the Act and in
partnership with the WIB. They are responsible for establishing policy and providing direction.
Importantly, financial accountability ultimately rests with the LEOs.
WorkForce West Virginia identifies Chief Local Elected Officials as presidents of county commissions
and mayors of municipalities of 10,000 or more people. The Region VII Workforce Investment Area
contains eight counties and one eligible municipality (Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson,
Mineral, Morgan, and Pendleton Counties, and the City of Martinsburg). These nine officials come
together to form the Region VII Local Workforce Investment Board’s Local Elected Official body.
The LEO’s appoint, re-appoint or revoke WIB members every two years, or earlier if the need arises (i.e.
member resigns, conflict of interest issue, etc.). Appointment and revocation will be based upon
consensus of the LEO Board. WIB members relieved by consensus of the LEO’s prior to the fulfillment
of their two-year term can appeal the LEO’s decision, in accordance with the WIB’s Grievance Policy, to
the entire Local Elected Official Board. Appeals to the final LEO decision can be made to WorkForce
West Virginia as outlined later in the Plan.
The LEOs have assumed financial responsibility. The LEOs of Region VII are governed by a formalized
Local Elected Official’s Agreement (Attachment A).
The Chief Local Elected Official is elected by his or her peers and serves as the lead for the group for a
two-year term. Meetings are conducted utilizing Robert’s Rules of Order with minutes published for each
meeting. Quorum for a formal meeting is five of the nine members present. Business motions are
approved by a majority of those in attendance. LEOs convey their concerns and support, in person, by
attending scheduled full Board meetings and Executive Committee meetings.
Attachment D provides a listing of LEO, WIB and Youth Council meeting dates during Program Year
2013.
B. The Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB).
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will carry out its activities in an open manner so as to build
public trust for WIA programs. The Board will comply with the “West Virginia Sunshine Law” that
requires public notice of its meetings and agenda. All meetings will be held in accessible places and a
variety of formats will be used to distribute notices of meetings. The Board will refrain from making
decisions out of the public sight. The Board will adopt its budget after appropriate public discussion. The
Board will adopt financial management policies that will assure that expenditures result from a known
process that promotes accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. To this end, the Region VII WIB has
adopted the West Virginia State Procurement Policy. Contracts issued by the WIB for WIA services will
be required to adhere to the West Virginia State Procurement Policy. Contracts, to include Memorandums
of Understanding (MOU) and other agreements issued by the WIB will contain the above verbiage.
26
Vendors will be required to have approval from the WIB prior to sub-contracting for any services
utilizing WIB funds. Any sub-contract issued must also contain contract Assurances. The WIB will
conduct no less than two annual monitoring visits to each WIB funded contractor to ensure contract
compliance.
Plan Development. The Board will use an open planning process that encourages participation by
community leaders, employers and the public. The process will feature meetings to allow input from a
wide range of individuals. The board will make the draft-planning document available to the public prior
to adoption. Citizens will be encouraged to review and comment on draft plans.
While planning and early decision making serve as the basis for implementation and oversight,
monitoring and corrective action are essential to a successful Workforce Investment Act delivery system.
The Board will establish performance measures for its training providers and its partners' activities. The
WIB staff will continuously monitor these measures. Using reports from the staff, the Board will
participate in the development of improvement efforts. The WIB has adopted a Monitoring Policy that
will be used to monitor Training Providers and contractors no less than twice annually. Formal written
reports will be provided upon conclusion of any monitoring visit. A copy of the report will be provided to
the contractor and/or Training Provider with technical assistance provided, when required.
The Board will base its process on the State’s quality principles as developed by WorkForce West
Virginia to assure compatibility with the other WIB regions. These principles are contained as part of the
One-Stop Chartering process and must be addressed by each One-Stop.
Participation from a broad range of groups and individuals is critical to developing an effective workforce
investment plan. Recognizing the critical nature of such participation, the Region VII Workforce
Investment Board (WIB) committed itself to developing an open planning process capable of obtaining
input from a variety of people and organization. The Board, through the Executive Director, will solicit
input from members prior to the draft modification submission date of June 28, 2013. The plan
modification will be open to the public for comment for thirty (30) days.
The Board and Executive Director began efforts by reviewing planning guidelines and WorkForce West
Virginia’s plan modification guidance. There was an effort to collect relevant data from sources such as
the Bureau of Employment Programs, economic development agencies, employers, education institutions,
and contracted survey information from the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at WVU, as well
as the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce. The information was combined with a labor market study of
Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton Counties. Likewise, a review of a Region VII
economic forecast using data prepared for the Eastern Panhandle and the Potomac Highlands was
analyzed during the planning process. This effort established an economic and statistical base for the
Region VII Workforce Investment Board Plan Modification.
An economic and demographic analysis does not provide an all-inclusive basis for developing a sound
workforce investment plan. A sound planning effort requires information available only by discussion
with a wide range of individuals. The committee utilized a series of facilitated meetings to collect
information. The Board extended invitations to its members, Local Elected Officials, economic
developers, educators, training providers, community leaders, the general public, and representatives of
industry and business. Planning information was gathered from other sources such as Customer Surveys
(job seekers) and Employer Surveys conducted at each of the two One-Stops.
The Board has appointed specific committees to address issues concerning WIA mandates and service
delivery of the region’s WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers. These various committees provide
27
feedback to the Board concerning strengths and weaknesses within the service delivery network.
Committee feedback is openly discussed at each Board meeting to keep WIB members informed of WIB
activities and compliance factors. WIB active committees include:
1)
Executive Committee;
2)
Business and Economic Development Committee;
3)
Programs and Accountability Committee; and
4)
Youth Council.
The WIB developed its budget based on allotted funds and on historic data, such as numbers of
participants previously served through Individual Training Accounts (ITA) and On-the-Job Training
(OJT) contracts and costs associated with the training. The number of participants projected to be served
during the new program year was also based on historic data and the availability of WIA funding.
The draft Workforce Investment Plan Modification was made available to all board members and Local
Elected Officials by May 13, 2013. Simultaneously, the Board made the document available for public
review. The Board supplied copies of the draft plan to both One-Stop Career Centers as well as the WIB
central office. The Plan is available on the WIB’s website, www.wvregion7wib.org for review. The Board
published advertisements in the eight county newspapers in the publication editions closest to May 13,
2013. The advertisement briefly reviewed the Plan’s purpose, encouraging the public to comment on the
Plan by June 13, 2013 and state the locations of the plan review copies. The advertisements noted that the
Board will receive both written and e-mail comments.
Public Access to Meetings. Individual members are the strength of the Workforce Investment Board.
The Board’s operations must encourage their fullest participation in all activities if the Board is to
succeed. To this end, the Board will hold all of its meetings in accessible places at times and locations
convenient to Board members. Advertisements of scheduled meetings will be published in regional
newspapers. The Board will meet at least six times each year. Members will receive notices of meetings
at least five days in advance of regular meetings and at least three days in advance of special meetings.
The meeting notice will describe the purpose of the meeting and will be in a format appropriate to the
needs of the membership. To the greatest extent possible, members will receive documents, reports, and
other items requiring action five (5) days prior to the meeting in which they will be considered. A quorum
established by the organizational bylaws must be present at a meeting to conduct WIB business.
At all times WIB staff will have responsibility for taking actions to encourage member participation. The
staff will act to keep members informed and will refrain from taking action on matters appropriate for
members. The Region VII WIB bylaws are attached as Attachment M.
The Region VII Local Elected Officials and Workforce Investment Board have adopted jointly a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that creates a basis for their interaction, including their
coordination of efforts. The memorandum identifies activities that are the responsibility of the WIB.
These would include, but are not limited to, identifying service providers, overseeing youth activities,
overseeing employment and training activities and governance and monitoring of the regional WorkForce
West Virginia Career Centers. Other activities that are the sole responsibility of the LEOs include, but are
not limited to, nominating and revocation of WIB members, serving as the local grant recipient, and
identifying a fiscal agent. Other tasks such as adopting a budget, preparing the Workforce Investment
Plan, certifying One-Stop operators and identifying an administrative agent are jointly shared tasks. The
28
memorandum calls for the Chief LEO to serve as an ex-officio member of the WIB executive committee.
LEO and WIB meeting minutes are available for review by any Board member. Individual LEOs attend
WIB meetings and the Chair of the WIB has participated in LEO meetings. The Memorandum of
Understanding between the Local Elected Officials and the Workforce Investment Board is provided as
Attachment B.
Conflict of Interest. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board bylaws state that no director,
officer, employee, Youth Council member, staff member or agent of the WIB shall:
a. Cast a vote on the provision of service under the training plan by that member, by any member of
his/her immediate family, or by any organization of which that member or any member of his/her
immediate family is an officer, owner, or employee (immediate family member refers to a spouse
residing in the individual’s household and any dependent child or children and dependent parent
or parents);
b. Participate in any decision relating to specific terms of a contract, the determination of
performance standards in a contract, or the development of Request for Proposals (RFP) or other
processes leading to a contract, is prohibited from receiving any direct financial benefit from any
resulting contract;
c. Participate in the award or administration of any grant or contract that is funded through the job
training plan, where he or she knows that any of the following has a financial interest in the
person or organization that will receive the grant or contract: (a) the officer, employee, or agent;
(b) any family member of the officer, employee or agent; (c) any partner of the officer, employee,
or agent or (d) any persons or organization that employs, or is about to employ, any persons
described in (a), (b) or (c); or
d. Engage in any business transaction or private for profit arrangement, which accrues from that
member’s position on the board.
e. Training providers active on any One-Stop Management Consortium or acting as the lead agency
of the One-Stop Management Consortium will not be engaged in the hiring or supervision of
One-Stop personnel that deal directly with One-Stop customers, to include WIA customers. This
hiring and supervision covers the One-Stop Director, One-Stop Greeter and the WIA Case
Manager. The hiring and supervision of these staff must come from an agency that cannot benefit
from the individual’s duties (i.e. refer customers to the hiring agency due to being employed by
the agency, etc.). Management Consortium members must abstain from discussion and or voting
on any issue relevant to their program and or services and the abstaining must be documented in
the relevant meeting minutes.
f.
LEOs and WIB members must refrain from discussing published Requests for Proposals (RFP)
with anyone or any agency outside the confines of the WIB organization. Any and all questions
concerning any RFP must be addressed as so identified in the RFP.
Any officer, employee, agent, or staff of the Board or the Youth Council with a potential conflict of
interest must disclose that fact to the Board as soon as the potential conflict is discovered. If the potential
conflict of interest is discovered during a Board or Committee meeting, the member must declare such
potential conflict and excuse themselves from the remainder of the discussion and voting on the item.
29
If the Board believes that a conflict of interest provision has been violated, the Board Chair will require
the potential conflict of interest to be reviewed by the Board’s Executive Committee. The committee shall
make a recommendation to the Board concerning its findings. If the committee finds that a conflict
of interest violation occurred, the Board Chair can recommend to the Chief Local Elected Official (LEO)
that the Board member be removed from the WIB. A consensus of the LEO body has the authority to
remove the member from the Board.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will use §6B-2-5 of the Code of West Virginia as its ethic
standard. Each WIB member must sign a Conflict of Interest Statement.
WIB Staff. Mr. Thomas J. Van Meter, an Eastern WV Community Action employee, will serve as the
WIB’s Executive Director and report directly to the Region VII WIB. Mrs. Stacy Vance, an Eastern WV
Community Action employee, will serve the Board as the Training Specialist and EO Officer for Region
VII. Mr. Matthew H. Martin, an Eastern WV Community Action employee, will serve the Board as the
Youth Program Coordinator for Region VII. Mr. Michael Ratliff, an Eastern WV Community Action
employee, will serve the Board as the Employment Specialist for Region VII. Eastern WV Community
Action will not govern nor attempt to govern the day-to-day operations of the Region VII Workforce
Investment Board. Eastern WV Community Action Agency is not a One-Stop Operator or WIA approved
Training Provider. Eastern WV Community Action Agency’s Administrative Assurances are applicable to
any officer, employee, agent, or staff of the WIB and Youth Council.
Workforce Investment Board Composition. The WIB is currently compliant with the mandated
representation outlined in the Act (see attachment S). To keep the board size to a minimum, some
partners represent more than one required board entity. The WIB currently has one optional partner, the
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). Other optional partners are being
recruited into the local WorkForce West Virginia Career Center service delivery network.
C. Rapid Response.
WorkForce West Virginia, by publication of Policy Guidance Letters No. 02-03, 03-03, 24-03 and
Informational Notice dated October 4, 2006, has established procedures for the operation of Rapid
Response activities throughout the state. These policies establish WorkForce West Virginia as the lead
state agency. Although WorkForce West Virginia is the lead, their goal is to operate the Rapid Response
program as a collaborative effort between the State and the local WIB. Thus, a Rapid Response Team
including the state and local representatives will be used in all Rapid Response situations. The team will
consist of:

Representative from WorkForce West Virginia

Representative from the local WIB

The appropriate local One-Stop Director or Business Service Team representative

The appropriate local Unemployment Insurance representative

The appropriate local Resource Center Peer Advocate

The appropriate Wagner-Peyser staff

The appropriate WV Development Office Existing Industry Representative
30

The State Trade Adjustment Assistance Act Unit

Local Economic Development personnel

Local Community and Technical College personnel
The process flow for combined state and local Rapid Response activities will be conducted as follows:

Initial contact from the employer, either direct or indirect contact, to either WorkForce West
Virginia or the local WIB (first party notified will immediately notify the other party).

State and local representatives discuss coordination of services for the employer and employees.

Establish state roles and local roles, to include roles of neighboring WIBs and WIBs located in
adjoining states (who will be the lead agency).

Contact employer for additional information regarding the layoff, plant closure, etc.

Determine if plant closing, layoff, or downsizing is due to international competition.

Set up initial meeting date with the employer and union (if applicable).

Develop appropriate materials and presentation on programs and services.

Contact the Rapid Response Team members and brief them on upcoming events with employer
and employees.

Rapid Response Team meets with company officials and union officials (if applicable).

Prepare and distribute initial employee meeting agenda to include discussion about the employee
survey.

Identify employee’s skills, wages and needs.

Present services offered at the local WorkForce West Virginia Career Center (One-Stops)

Determine the need for an Adjustment Committee (does the company and union want an
Adjustment Committee?).

Conduct Adjustment Committee training.

Conduct meeting(s) with employees to inform them about available services.
 One-Stop partner services.
 Market community programs.
 Conduct employee needs survey.
 Identify Unemployment Insurance requirements.
 Inform about job search methods.
 Inform about training opportunities.
31
 Identify services that maximize reemployment opportunities.

Analyze other needed services through surveys and distribute results.

Assist employees find jobs.

Provide WIA Core, Intensive and Training Services.

Provide WIA Case Management Services.

Provide WIA Supportive Service needs.

Assist individual obtain unsubsidized self-sustaining employment.

Provide follow-up activities.
Funding of local Rapid Response activities will come from local Dislocated Worker funds. Once local
Dislocated Worker funds are depleted the WIB can request additional Dislocated Worker funds from
WorkForce West Virginia.
D. Youth Council.
The LEO and WIB Board chairs ask their members to submit lists of potential Youth Council members.
The chairs request that members solicit input from individuals and organizations representative of the
groups required by the Act to participate on the youth council. Where needed, nominations were solicited
directly from individuals and organizations supportive to youth needs in the region. The LEOs and WIB
reviewed names and developed a membership that met the criteria of WIA. In filling future vacancies, the
Region VII WIB and LEOs will send letters requesting membership nominations to groups, agencies, and
organizations with special interest in youth. The WIB chairperson will appoint youth council members.
As with the WIB, individual members are the strength of the Youth Council. The Council’s operations
must encourage members’ full participation in all activities, if the Council is to succeed. To this end the
Council will hold all of its meetings in accessible places at times and locations convenient to its members.
Meetings will be open to the public as required by the Sunshine Law. Meeting locations will vary to
encourage participation. Members will receive notices of meetings at least five days in advance of regular
meetings and at least three days in advance of special meetings. The meeting notice will describe the
purpose of the meeting and will be in a format appropriate to the needs of each member. To the greatest
extent possible members will receive documents, reports, and other items requiring consideration prior to
the meeting where they will be considered. The Chair of the Youth Council will brief the WIB at
regularly scheduled WIB meetings.
E. Fiscal Agent.
The Region VII Local Elected Officials and WIB issued a Request for Proposal for fiscal and
administrative agent in January 2011. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board and the Local Elected
32
officials unanimously selected Eastern WV Community Action Agency as the LWIB fiscal agent.
Attachment E is an organization chart for the WIB.
Fiscal Management. The WIB will ensure the future fiscal entity is familiar with the federal
government’s requirements for financial management. The use of a double entry electronic accounting
system to maintain financial information on a fund basis will be required. The financial management
system must provide the following:

Accurate, current, and complete disclosure of financial results;

Records that adequately identify the sources and application of grant funds;

Effective control over and accountability for all funds, property, and other assets;

Comparison of actual outlays with amounts budgeted for the grants;

Procedures to minimize the time elapsing between transfer of funds from the U.S. Treasury and the
disbursement;

Procedures for determining reasonableness and allowable costs;

Accounting records that are supported by source documentation; and

A systematic method to assure timely and appropriate resolution of audit findings and
recommendations.
At the present time, WIB funds are deposited in a WIB non-interest bearing bank account in a bank with
FDIC insurance coverage. The WIB will seek collateral coverage for any amount greater than the FDIC
limit. The WIB uses pre-numbered checks and two signatures are required on all checks. Bank records are
maintained and reconciled on a monthly basis.
The fiscal entity will be required to maintain a cash receipts journal, a cash disbursement journal, and a
general ledger. These will meet standards established for federal programs. The fiscal entity will keep
these records separate from its own financial management system. The fiscal entity will support these
records with appropriate source documentation such as invoices and timesheets.
The fiscal entity will provide the WIB with data to allow a comparison of budgeted and actual costs. The
fiscal staff will use federal cost principles to determine the reasonableness, allowable costs, and allocation
of costs.
The fiscal entity on behalf of the WIB will maintain an inventory of property acquired with WIA funds
costing $5,000 or more. The inventory will include a description of the property, the property’s location,
its acquisition cost and date, the source of funds used for acquisition, and final disposition. The fiscal
entity will tag all property with a permanent tag that bears a unique serial number. This serial number will
be recorded as a part of the inventory system. The tag will indicate the property belongs to the Region VII
WIB and was acquired with WIA funds. The fiscal entity will update the inventory as significant property
is obtained and the WIB will perform at least an annual reconciliation of records.
The WIB will have its financial management records audited annually as required by applicable OMB
Circulars to determine compliance with federal requirements.
33
Section VI. The WorkForce West Virginia System
A. WorkForce West Virginia System Development.
The service delivery system in Region VII will be an evolving system, one that continues to
improve on the quality of service, service accessibility, and remain adaptable in meeting the
needs of area employers and job seekers. The system’s primary focus is to provide a framework
in which the workforce of West Virginia can advance skills needed for the 21st century. The
delivery system will be dependent on web-based portals that allow immediate transfer and
processing of information between rural access points such as the WorkForce West Virginia
Career Center partners and other state and federal agencies. In keeping with the One-Stop
delivery philosophy, the Board faces many challenges to provide services throughout a rural area.
To meet the challenges, the Board is committed to maintaining at least one comprehensive
WorkForce West Virginia Career Center, and one affiliate site and various access points
throughout the region, to enable universal access by all employers and job seekers. Currently, the
WIB has chartered the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center located in Moorefield, WV and
the Career Center located in Martinsburg, WV.
Throughout the eight counties of the region, the Board will continue to develop access points with
WIA partners. These access points will have computers linked to the WorkForce West Virginia
delivery system for job seekers and employers to access services. The Board plans to have
multiple sites with computers in each county, allowing maximum accessibility. Job seekers will
have at their disposal extensive listings of jobs available locally, across the region, state and
nation. Employers will have access to an extensive database of available workers, online labor
market information and the ability to post job listings on the network. Computers will be
available during normal business hours and in some cases, dependent on the hosting location, on
a 24-hour basis. Computers will have access to the Internet and be linked to the regional and state
job information system. Current computer locations are listed below:
Berkeley County
Martinsburg WorkForce West Virginia Center
891 Auto Parts Place, Ste. 135
Martinsburg, WV
Martinsburg Rehabilitation Services
891 Auto Parts Place
Martinsburg, WV
Martinsburg Parole Office
120 West John Street
Martinsburg, WV
James Rumsey Technical Institute
Rt. 9 West, 3274 Hedgesville Road
Martinsburg, WV
Berkeley County DHHR Office
34
433 Mid-Atlantic Parkway
Martinsburg, WV
Grant County
South Branch Vocational Center in Petersburg
401 Pierpont Street
Petersburg, WV
Hampshire County
Department of Corrections Parole Office in Romney
66 North High Street
Romney, WV
Rehabilitation Services in Romney
301 East Main Street
Romney, WV
Hampshire Career Center
Sunrise Blvd.
Romney, WV
Romney Unity Apartments (Senior Citizen Housing Project)
250 Fairfax Street
Romney, WV
Hardy County
Moorefield Job Service
Rt. 55 North, Harco Complex
Moorefield, WV
Moorefield High School
401 North Main Street
Moorefield, WV
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College in Moorefield
316 Eastern Drive
Moorefield, WV
Jefferson County
Jefferson County Adult Learning Center in Charles Town
Jefferson County TeleCenter
401 South Fairfax Blvd
Ranson, WV
Harpers Ferry Job Corps Center
237 Job Corps Road
Harpers Ferry, WV
Shepherd College in Shepherdstown
301 South King Street
Shepherdstown, WV
Mineral County
Mineral County Technical Center in Keyser
35
600 Harley Staggers Sr. Drive
Keyser, WV
Rehabilitation Services in Keyser
603 Locust Street
Keyser, WV
Potomac State College in Keyser
101 Fort Avenue
Keyser, WV
Morgan County
Current negotiations are underway to have a site at the Senior Center in
Paw Paw, WV.
Pendleton County
WV Department of Motor Vehicles
HC 61 Box 18A
Franklin, WV
One-Stop Operator Selection. In selecting comprehensive “One-Stop” sites for the region,
the Board focused on finding sites that would provide a full range of services for a maximum
populous. The Board concentrated on establishing two comprehensive sites, meeting the
requirements of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and WorkForce West Virginia, as well as
the needs of the region. The Board conducted a review of services offered throughout the region
by mandated partners, service organizations, public entities, non-profit organizations, employers,
and educational institutions. Factors considered by the Board in the One-Stop location selection
process were:

location (accessibility, parking, ample space, etc.);

availability of mandatory partners;

potential numbers of customers in the area;

ADA compliant facilities;

availability of optional partners;

employer concentration;

public transportation; and

cost of one-stop operation.
Selection Results. A review throughout the region determined the Martinsburg site, located
within a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) making it a prime location, serving both the
greatest concentration of residents and employers. The Martinsburg site re-located to 891 Auto
Parts Place as of April 1, 2007. A Management Consortium was established in Martinsburg in
order to charter this site as a full service comprehensive One Stop Center. This location is more
populous, with manufacturing being a major industry. The site serves the three panhandle
counties of the region. The second comprehensive site is located in Moorefield, WV. Both
36
locations offer at least three mandated partner Core, Intensive and Training services. Both
locations offer these services to the Adult, Dislocated Worker, Displaced Homemaker, and the
Youth population defined in the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. Other services available at
the each location include Bureau of Employment Services (Job Service) and Unemployment
Insurance (UI). Moorefield is home to a large industrial sector and lower population area. Major
industries include poultry, wood products, and agriculture. The Moorefield One-Stop Site is
located to serve the western population of the region. The site has ample parking and is within
close proximity of Eastern WV Community and Technical College. The WIB has identified
“Conflict of Interest” issues on page V-5 of this Plan that governs the hiring and supervision of
the One-Stop Director, Greeter and WIA Case Manager to be other than a Training Provider for
each One Stop Career Center.
WorkForce West Virginia Career Center Chartering. The Board utilized the Act and
guidance contained in Governor’s Workforce Investment Office Policy Guidance Letter 12-00 to
develop its One-Stop chartering procedures. The chartering process is based on criteria
established by the WorkForce West Virginia, with emphasis placed on the employer as the
primary customer. Certification of a One-Stop Center will be for a maximum of one-year and can
be renewed upon agreement of all parties. Attachment N contains the WIB’s One-Stop
Chartering Criteria.
De-certification of a One-Stop Center. The WIB has reviewed WorkForce West Virginia
Policy 12-00 and would comply with the established guidance regarding de-certification of a
One-Stop. The WIB will utilize its Chartering Criteria, approved Business Plans, Memorandums
of Understanding, and applicable performance measures to gauge One-Stop performance.
Termination occurs only after the Board has worked with the One-Stop Operators to devise a
corrective action plan and has provided ample technical assistance. The WIB will make all
corrective action available in writing and include areas where corrective action has been initiated.
De-certification may occur for the following reasons:
1. Failure to meet performance measures for two consecutive years.
2. Failure of a mandated partner to participate in the MOU.
3. Failure to gather information for quality assurance or continuous improvement.
4. Other reasons established in the MOU.
5. Failure to take action outlined on a corrective action plan.
Provision of WIA Core, Intensive, and Training Services. Job seekers and employers in
Region VII will have unlimited access to core services. Core services can be obtained through the
WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers and their partners, and access points by use of any
computer with Internet access. Individuals that cannot obtain employment through core services
can be provided intensive services. Intensive services will be coordinated through the One-Stops
and will involve more intensive evaluation, testing, assessment, case management services, and
development of the Individual Employment Plan (IEP). Case Managers will put emphasis on
identifying any and all possible barriers to employment and refer the individual to agencies that
can assist the individual to overcome known barriers. Case Managers will utilize to the fullest,
services of Adult Basic Education (ABE), DHHR’s SPOKES Program, Division of Rehabilitation
Services, Key Train, and other services that are known to enhance an individual’s employability
37
skills. In no instance, should any individual be referred to a training program or employer unless
all barriers preventing success have been overcome at the Case Management level. In the event
intensive services do not result in employment for the individual, additional assessment and case
management services will be provided. At this point, the individual may be qualified for either
on-the-job training or occupational training in a demand occupation specific to the regional labor
market. Training under the ITA will be used only after customized training and/or OJT are used
or determined not appropriate for the participant. On-the-Job Training will have priority over
contracted occupational training. Individuals eligible for the Individual Training Account (ITA)
will be provided training by a Training Provider approved by the Board and WorkForce West
Virginia. The Training Provider must offer training in a regional demand occupation.
Meeting Training Needs. The WIB will work with area training providers to develop more
short-term training programs, as requested by area employers and job seekers. In the 2007-2008
program years, the WIB elected to limit training costs to $4,000, and being a year or less in
duration. Higher training costs or those longer in duration are on a case by case basis at the
discretion of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board Executive Director.
B. WorkForce West Virginia Partner Services.
The Board’s local One-Stop system reflects the core principles of the Workforce Investment Act.
Specifically, universality, customer choice, continuous improvement, performance outcomes and
integrated service guide not only the management of the system but are put into practice as part of daily
operations. At the present time, the regional WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers are working with
mandated partners to further develop the sites as extensive service centers in accordance with WIA. It is
the intent of the Board to continue improving and expanding on the Centers’ services, in particular
business services. This will be achieved by focusing on the following One-Stop development initiatives.
1. Partner and Service Integration. Strong partnerships are instrumental in the development of a
full service, fully integrated One-Stop. Building strong partnerships that lead to full integration is a high
priority of the WIB to ensure customers are afforded the myriad of services available through the various
partners. A One-Stop Director will be responsible for full integration of partner services for the provision
of streamlined customer oriented One-Stop services. The WIB will continue to be aggressive with other
service development initiatives to enhance the services at its One-Stops. A priority of the WIB will be
partner-operating cost sharing in the One-Stops by all the WIA mandated partners. Failure at the local
level to achieve this DOL mandate will cause the WIB to seek resolve from WorkForce West Virginia,
the Interagency Collaborative Team (ICT), or the WV WIA Legislative Oversight Committee. Partner
cost sharing in the One-Stops is not controlled locally, thus hindering the full development of the regional
One-Stops. For the most part, WIA and WorkForce West Virginia bear all the costs for operating the
One-Stop Career Centers in Region VII. This is due to partner funding being controlled by state agency
heads, located outside the local WIB area. Partners will be asked to support only those costs associated
with serving their clientele, to include those “common services” received by all partners, whether they be
for services, space utilization, equipment usage, personnel, and other shared activities.
2. Partnerships with Business - The Board implemented several mechanisms for utilizing the
expertise and knowledge of the business community to guide and refine the service delivery system.
Business is the primary customer of the Region VII WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers.
Employer services offered at the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers are focused on providing
streamlined, user-friendly, responsive services to employers. Existing employer committees comprised of
local businesses are active in providing feedback related to the needs of employers and work with One38
Stop partners to ensure that service delivery focuses on meeting those needs. The WorkForce West
Virginia Career Centers also participate in activities sponsored by Chambers of Commerce and Economic
Development Councils in order to stay informed of labor market trends and to establish new initiatives
with business partners, as costs allow. An initiative resulting from the WIB’s participation in the DOL
Protégé Project is the adoption of Business Service Team (BST) in the One-Stops. These units are
actively interacting with area businesses to determine needs and adding such services to the current menu
of business services.
3. Co-Location and/or Electronic Connectivity – The Board is committed to ensuring that
job seekers and businesses have full access to the information and resources necessary to meet their
needs. Future availability of mandated partner services and the electronic connectivity of a variety of
other community resources will help achieve this goal. Additionally, the WorkForce West Virginia Career
Centers have been linked to the WIB website to provide customers with information 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. These components will help to reduce the cost of physical facilities as resources are
channeled directly into services for customers.
4. Open Lines of Communication – The Board is committed to the inclusion of all sectors of the
community and believes in soliciting their input as part of the planning and implementation of the OneStop system. This is evident through a variety of established practices including, but not limited to, the
following: active participation of Board members in a variety of subcommittees; use of local WIB
website www.wvregion7wib.org and the Internet to provide information and solicit input; the
establishment of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) specifying expectations and responsibilities;
periodic Board meetings to address WorkForce West Virginia issues and delivery issues; and joint
training sessions to ensure that all partners are aware of policies as well as state-of-the-art techniques for
providing quality services.
This WIB conducts an annual dinner meeting and invites all Local Elected Officials and all regional
legislators. Monthly WIB Director Meetings are conducted to ensure communication from the “topdown” is continuous and updated.
5. Continuous Quality Improvement – The Board utilizes a methodical process to charter and
monitor the Career Centers. The current Chartering Criteria will be reviewed in the new Program Year
due to the One-Stops being at a level where new expectations can be placed upon the service delivery.
Should the Chartering Criteria change prior to the next Plan modification, a copy will be submitted to
WorkForce West Virginia. Monitoring of all Training Providers and contractors will also provide the
WIB with information geared towards continuous improvement of service delivery.
6. Commitment to Staff Development – The Board attributes the success in delivering quality
services to customers in Region VII to the high caliber of staff operating throughout the One-Stop
delivery system. All partners have an individual and collective commitment to ongoing staff development
as a way of promoting innovation, accountability, and providing the highest quality services.
The One-Stop concept is evidenced in the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers which includes the
below partner services required by WIA. NOTE: All partner core services are identified in the Partner
MOU’s which are contained in Attachment F.

Programs authorized under Title I of WIA (Adults, Dislocated Worker’s, Youth, Job Corps, Migrant
and Seasonal Farm Worker Programs, and Veterans’ Workforce Programs).
39

Programs authorized under the Wagner-Peyser Act;

Adult education and literacy activities authorized under Title II;

Programs authorized under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;

Activities authorized under Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965;

Postsecondary vocational education activities authorized under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and
Applied Technology Education Act;

Activities authorized under Chapter 2 of Title II of the Trade Act of 1974;

Employment and training activities carried out under the Community Service Block Grant Act;

Programs authorized under State unemployment compensation laws.
The Board is pursuing the support of other optional partners. Each partner of the One-Stop delivery
system will be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the appropriate
WorkForce West Virginia Career Center and the WIB.
Participant Tracking and MACC. The goal of the WIB, as well as the state, is to have all the
mandated partners, as well as any optional partners participating in the One-Stops, to utilize one
management information system. Such collaboration would greatly enhance customer services, improve
accountability and tracking, coordinate participate case management between partners, greatly enhance
referrals between partners, enhance all partner performance outcomes, and on and on. However, the “buyin” of all partners will not happen overnight, if at all. The WIB, with the assistance of WorkForce West
Virginia and the ICT, will continue to seek partner use of the MACC. Until such time as all or most
partners convert to MACC, manual and cumbersome referral processes will have to be used and
documented at the local level.
C. WorkForce West Virginia Services to Specific Populations
Welcome to the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center. The activities and services of the
WorkForce West Virginia system are streamlined to provide immediate access to a wide variety of both
job seeker and employer services. This streamlined approach provides responsive customer service
whether it is one-on-one customer support at a WorkForce West Virginia Career Center, one-on-one
interaction with a WIA partner, services at an Affiliate Site or access point, or by field visitation by a
WorkForce West Virginia staff member. Upon entry into the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center,
customers are informed of all service options available and are encouraged to utilize those services most
appropriate to meet their needs. Although initial utilization of these resources encourages self-assessment
and independent use of resources, the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center recognizes that some
customers may require more assistance in order to become and remain gainfully employed. As a result,
Resource Room staff and the One-Stop staff with diversified backgrounds from the various partners are
available to work with customers as part of Core and Intensive Services in order to achieve a positive selfsustaining employment outcome. This can include enhanced career counseling, referral to other programs,
referral to support services, and intensified employability skills training (i.e., ABE, SPOKES, KeyTrain,
Fast Track, etc.) in addition to the options listed above.
40
Training Services available through the WorkForce West Virginia delivery system encompass a wide
array of services offered by partnering with public and community training agencies. Adult training is
provided to assist customers in improving basic skills, employability skills and job skills. Basic skill
instruction is provided in labs within the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers and includes literacy
instruction, basic skill remediation and GED preparation. English proficiency instruction is available in
adult education centers throughout the region. Employability skill training is provided for all adults and
dislocated workers who lack work history and is available to others who desire this instruction. Partner
programs such as Adult Basic Education (ABE), Strategic Planning in Occupation Knowledge for
Employment and Success (SPOKES) and Key Train are provided through the Region VII WorkForce
West Virginia Career Centers. ADA compliant computers are located at the One-Stops for handicapped
job seekers.
Other programs for customers that are provided by partner agencies include Veteran Employment
Programs, the Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Program, Job Corps, Older Worker Programs,
Rehabilitation Programs, Community Action Programs, and Youth Programs. Another service available
for adults and dislocated workers is Rapid Response, which provides services to displaced homemakers
and dislocated workers.
Youth Activities in an Integrated Service Delivery System and Access of Youth Services.
Youth services will be offered through the Region VII WorkForce West Virginia delivery system to
provide youth access to services and activities throughout the region. Each youth applicant who meets the
criteria to be considered a WIA eligible youth will be provided information on youth services that are
available through the WorkForce West Virginia system. Upon youth program eligibility determination,
the youth will be referred to the WIB Youth Services’ Provider. A service strategy will be developed for
each youth participant, which will identify self-development goals, appropriate achievement objectives,
and other appropriate services for the youth.
The Region VII WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will provide strong linkages between academic
and occupational learning. Youth will be provided counseling by mentors/case managers at the local OneStop or at the youth program level. Case managers will focus on career counseling, career interest
assessment, and career information. In keeping with the state’s vision on youth, the WIB views strong
involvement by the employer/private sector, union shops, community colleges, apprenticeships, and other
youth programs as very important links in providing youth mentoring, internship, and job shadowing.
The WorkForce West Virginia Career Center can provide information that emphasizes academic skills
relevant to demand occupations in the region. Youth will be able to obtain individual assessment, job
readiness skills, work maturity, and job maintenance skills prior to referral to unsubsidized employment.
Hands on preparation will be critical to future employment success due to the techniques taught in job
shadowing, work experience, and internships. The youth council will act as the intermediary between
youth and the local business community and education institutions. Increasing local youth literacy and
workforce skills will be of paramount importance to all stakeholders, public and private. Supportive
services such as transportation assistance or childcare may be necessary to eliminate barriers that prevent
training or employment. Follow-up is crucial. Ongoing assistance will be provided to ensure youth stay
connected to the labor force and/or the educational system. Feedback will provide vital information on
service delivery and how techniques can be improved upon.
The local WIB, complying with the intent of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Training Employment and
Guidance Notice No. 3-04 (TEGN), has approved the use of no less than 70% of its total Youth
Allocation to serve Out-of-School Youth and at-risk youth. The WIB, as DOL, views Out-of-School
Youth and at-risk youth, an important part of the new workforce “supply pipeline” needed by business to
fill job vacancies in the growing economy. By providing more local funds for Out-of-School and at-risk
41
youth, the WIB is investing in a catalyst to connect these disadvantaged youth with quality secondary and
post-secondary educational opportunities and high growth and other employment opportunities. The WIB
enforced this new delivery strategy by issuing a Request for Youth Training Services Proposal, which
required at least 70% of the funding allocated to be used to serve Out-of-School Youth and at-risk youth.
During the summer of 2009, the Region VII WIB was able to successfully place 93 youth into six-week
work experience programs. Building on the success of this program, the Region VII WIB was able to
offer a summer youth work experience program in 2010 & 2011 with funding provided from a grant
obtained from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. In 2012, a smaller version
of the program was funded with local WIA resources.
Veterans. Veterans of Region VII are a priority for service and are being served through state and local
veterans programs, including the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program and the Way Station, operating out
of Frederick, MD. Walk in participants who are veterans are served at each One Stop location under the
Region VII Priority of Service Policy. The Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist has an office
in the South Branch One Stop and serves the entire eight county region.
D. WorkForce West Virginia Governance
Attachment F contains a copy of the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center Business Plans and partner
Memorandums of Understanding.
Business Focus. The One-Stop leadership concept calls for the One-Stop to focus primarily on
the needs of employers. The One-Stop has implemented a “Business Services Unit” concentrating
on interacting with area businesses to gain an understanding of business and industry needs and
how the One-Stop will need to adapt to meeting those needs. Each partner that currently provides
any type of “employer services” has been asked to join the “Business Services Unit (BSU)”. An
important partner and one that can provide the leadership for the BSU is each local community
college. The colleges bring to the table vast experience in working with area businesses, thus
easing the development and implementation of the BSU.
Section VII. Workforce Investment Services
A. General Information
Services offered by the Region VII WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will be driven by
the needs of employers and the region’s labor demand listing. (Attachment K). WorkForce West
Virginia customers can choose from standard or tailored services that provide region specific
employability skills. Although the WorkForce West Virginia system is customer-choice driven,
the training or career choice must be from a demand occupation within the regional labor market
area. Various levels of user-friendly employment and training services are available throughout
the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers (i.e., job search assistance, Key Train curriculum,
and other resources). Access points, through partnerships, are located throughout regional
counties. Staffs at the Affiliate Site and the access points are available to assist customers in
accessing WorkForce West Virginia services via computer link. Staff support at the access point
42
is limited, requiring customers that require Intensive Services to be referred to the WorkForce
West Virginia Career Centers.
Access to regional training and employment information is centralized throughout the region and
state by use of the Mid-Atlantic Career Consortium (MACC) Management Information System
(MIS). Customers, both job seekers and employers, can access employment and training
information at each comprehensive One-Stop, in Moorefield, and in Martinsburg, and at access
points located in each of the other six counties, through the various partners located throughout
the entire eight county area, and last, but not certainly least, through any computer connected to
internet service. The dissemination of information electronically as well as social media allows
for large quantities of information to be available in short periods of time. Customers will be able
to access many partner services by use of electronic links. Web sites currently available for
customers to obtain employment and training information include:



www.wvregion7wib.org
www.facebook.com
www.WORKFORCEWV.org


www.WORKFORCEWV.org
www.WORKFORCEWV.org
Region VII Workforce Investment Board Web Site
Region VII Workforce Investment Board Facebook Page
West Virginia WorkForce West Virginia Career Center
Delivery System
WorkForce West Virginia
WV Bureau of Employment Programs (Labor
Market Data, Unemployment Data, Demand
Occupational, Regional Forecasts)
The WIB web site address is www.wvregion7wib.org. The site provides direct information
relating to partner services offered at the regional One-Stop as well as numerous links to other
sources of information such as training providers (ITA, OJT, and customized training); Labor
Market Information (LMI); Environmental scans and other economic and demographic studies;
county and local economic development agencies; job listings (local, state and national); and
much more useful information to both job seekers and employers. The site includes mechanisms
by which interested parties can request additional information and or direct questions or
comments to appropriate WIB personnel. The site can also provide the WIB with statistical data
relating to use. The WIB will continuously upgrade the Web Site based on new services, updated
services, or other areas of interest to businesses and job seekers.
B. Adult and Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities.
All Adult and Dislocated Workers can be provided WIA Core, Intensive and Training Services
through the comprehensive WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers located in Martinsburg and
in Moorefield. Core Services can be obtained at any WorkForce West Virginia Career Center,
access point, or by use of the Internet. Intensive and Training Services may be provided to WIA
eligible job seekers that do not have skills necessary to secure immediate employment and will be
coordinated by a WorkForce West Virginia Career Center WIA Case Managers. Training
Services will be constantly monitored by the WIB to ensure both quality and success by the
approved provider. The Region VII WIB reserves the right to remove a Training Provider or a
Training Providers program from our approved regional list if there is a problem related to
performance or quality.
Services will be provided to current workers, emerging workers, incumbent workers or dislocated
workers, the disabled, veterans, low-income, including former and/or older workers re-entering
43
the workforce. Eligibility for services will be in accordance with the WIB Priority of Service
Policy and the WIB’s Self-Sufficiency Income Level Policy.
The Region VII WIB has no plans at this time to transfer funds between Adult and Dislocated
Worker funding streams.
Services for the Disabled
The WIB, in conjunction with the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitative Services (DRS) and
the BIOSS/WVWIG Center for Excellence in Disabilities is working to develop the One-Stop
into a “seamless service center” for people with disabilities. The One-Stop has ADA compliant
computers in place for use by the disabled. Staff received training to deal with the special needs
of those with disabilities.
The One-Stop Business Plans will be required to document and provide service strategies for
serving individuals with disabilities.
Needs-Related Payments for Dislocated Workers. The WIB established policy
authorizing the payment of needs related payments to WIA eligible participants to offset the costs
of attending training. As of March 19, 2009 the Region VII Workforce Investment Board has
reactivated the supportive service payment policy. The United States Department of Labor
Training Employment and Guidance Letter NO. 14-08 places a direct emphasis on the need for
supportive service payment delivery. The ARRA viewed supportive service payments as one of
the direct tools Workforce Investment Areas can use to remove barriers from individuals that are
in need of re-employment or re-training. Region VII WIB continues to recognize the importance
of Supportive Service Payments even though ARRA funds have been exhausted.
Individual Training Account Policy. The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) provides for
the Individual Training Account (ITA) to be used on behalf of WIA participants to finance
training services. Upon exhausting all other student financial aid sources the ITA shall be one of
the primary methods used by the WIB to train WIA eligible participants. Customers will be
required to apply for Federal Pell Grants and the portion of the Pell Grant attributable to tuition
and other training costs must be applied to the tuition cost before WIA funds are applied. WIA
funds may be used to fund an ITA while Pell eligibility is being processed. However, when Pell
funds are provided, the portion of Pell attributable to tuition must be repaid to the WIB. The
portion of a Pell Grant that is attributable to “education related” expenses is not required to be
applied to tuition or reimbursed to the Board. In cases where an individual has a choice between a
Pell eligible training provider and a service provider that has not applied or received Pell
eligibility, the customer must choose the Pell eligible provider, if performance data are
comparable and the Pell-eligible service provider training costs are comparable. The selection of
a training provider will be in a manner that maximizes informed consumer choice. However,
consumer choice must be in a demand or growth occupation within the Region VII labor market.
Applicable portions of the ITA will be completed by the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center
Case Manager and the Training Provider, and then forwarded to the WIB for approval. The ITA
can only be utilized at training or educational facilities approved by both the local WIB and
WorkForce West Virginia. A listing of approved training providers can be reviewed on the state
website at www.wvdo.com/workforce/trainingproviders.html. The listing should provide
information on school location; program offerings and class dates; school point of contact;
program cost; program certification or degree; school completion rates; wage at placement; and
44
rate of retention in unsubsidized employment. The availability of the above information will
assist the individual in choosing a quality-training program.
ITA Eligibility. The process for determining individual ITA eligibility includes:

the individual has received Core and Intensive Services without obtaining employment (core and
intensive services received must be documented on the Individual Employment Plan (IEP) and in
MACC). Before moving to either a training program or employment, the individual must
demonstrate he or she has the necessary basic education or work skills necessary to proceed to
training or employment.

the individual chooses a training program or educational program from a demand occupation which is
offered by a Region VII certified Training Provider;

the individual has demonstrated through evaluation, assessment, and case management the abilities,
aptitudes, and/or skills to successfully complete the training;

the training occupation has the potential to provide the customer a self-sufficient income;

the individual is accepted by the training provider; and

the WIB approves the ITA.
Individual Training Account (ITA) Limitations
1. Training costs shall not exceed $4,000 for a twelve (12) month period and are limited to that
twelve (12) month period, to include tuition, fees, books, supplies, tools and other direct
training related expenses, unless by approval of the Executive Director. No payments will be
made for training costs incurred prior to the time the Individual Training Account is
approved. The training provider and/or participant shall provide proof, in writing, of tuition
coverage or income to support training programs that cost in excess of the approved WIA
amount.
2. Participants will be limited to one (1) occupational skills course or training program within a
three (3) year period. The Board, in the case of a dislocated worker that has received prior
training and subsequently becomes unemployed due to another plant closing, downsizing, or
plant relocation, may make an exception.
3. Participants may transfer from a training institution of higher education to another Board
approved training institution as long as the receiving institution provides credit for all
successfully completed training.
4. Transfers will not be approved for participants attending providers of training from other than
Board approved institutions.
5. Funds shall not be approved for home study courses or sectarian activities. However, courses
of study whose main course work is conducted on-site with minimal home study or video
teaching can be approved.
45
6. Workforce Investment Act funding shall not be provided for individuals changing programs
7. Unless approved by the WIB. Prior to approval by the WIB, a new ITA will be completed by
WorkForce West Virginia staff and the Training Provider and submitted to the WIB. The
new ITA must be approved by the WIB prior to any program change.
8. Costs for any repeated course(s), lost books, etc. will not be paid by WIA funding.
9. The participant will be required to apply for student financial aid, to include a Pell Grant, if
attending a training provider that participates in the Federal Financial Aid Program. A copy
of the award or denial letter must accompany the ITA.
10. The individual must be making satisfactory progress in the program. Satisfactory progress is
defined as 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for each term and the cumulative GPA must also be
2.0 or greater. The Board will recognize higher progress standards when required by a school
for satisfactory completion of a program. Satisfactory progress, in the case of schools
utilizing a pass/fail grading system, will be defined as the progress level the school has
established as the benchmark the individual must meet or obtain to be declared “skill
efficient” in the school’s program of study.
11. The student must agree to attend classes no less than 12 credit hours/semester hours or 25
classroom hours per week or be enrolled as full-time equivalent student in a West Virginia
State Board of Education approved program, or be enrolled in a program approved by an
accrediting agency recognized by the West Virginia State Board of Education. Instances
where school scheduling will not allow the student to carry the required credit hours/semester
hours may be waived and will be handled on a case-by-case basis by the WIB. Summer
school students must be enrolled no less than the credit hours/semester hours equivalent to 6credit hours/semester hours or 37.5 classroom hours per week.
ITA Payment. The Local Workforce Investment Board will make payment to the training provider
in two (2) separate installments per semester/session:


½ at the time of enrollment with submission of an invoice from the training provider; and
½ at mid-point in the semester/session with submission of an invoice and a student
progress report. The student must be making satisfactory performance.
If a participant drops out of the training program between disbursement periods, the balance due will be
prorated, and a refund issued to the WIB.
The length of training shall be based on the time needed to learn adequately the occupational skills.
Depending on the type of training, it could be as long as twelve (12) months or as short as a few weeks.
ITA Disclaimer. Failure to abide by the ITA policy relieves the Local Workforce Investment
Board of any obligation to pay for any training cost incurred. The individual may be responsible
for payment to the Board of training expenses incurred by the Board in the event the individual
does not abide by the ITA policy. Each ITA recipient will have this acknowledged in a signed
Memorandum of Understanding.
On-the-Job Training Policy (OJT). Region VII customers that are not able to find
employment using core and intensive services may be eligible for On-the-Job Training (OJT).
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OJT is training delivered by an employer to an individual that does not possess the work skills
necessary to perform a work function. The OJT training must provide knowledge or skills
essential to the full and adequate performance of the job. OJT also may be utilized to:
1. Upgrade current worker skills due to new technology, new service procedures; and allow
employees to upgrade skills to earn a self-sufficient wage.
Other OJT provisions include:
2. The WIB may provide reimbursement to the employer up to 50 percent of the wage
rate (excluding fringe and incentives) not to exceed $6,000 per customer, for the
extraordinary costs of providing the training and additional supervision related to the
training. OJT reimbursement will be limited in duration as appropriate to the occupation for
which the customer is being trained. The WIB will utilize as its training “time standard” the
Occupational Information Network guide (O*NET).
3. Prior to entering an OJT contract, the customer’s needs, skills, and career plans will be
assessed and documented on the IEP by the WorkForce West Virginia Career Center Staff.
Only when the customer will benefit from the OJT experience will the individual be enrolled
in OJT.
4. OJT contracts utilizing WIA funds may not be executed if the employer has
relocated to the region from another location in the United States within 120 days,
and if the relocation resulted in jobs lost by employees at the original location.
5. OJT contracts will not be used when an employer has employees in a lay off status.
The OJT participant shall receive and shall sign an acceptance of orientation that shall include an
understanding of the terms in the OJT contract. The participant will also be required to enter into
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the WIB, which establishes the roles and
responsibilities of the participant while receiving WIA funded OJT services. Employers will be
required to sign a contract, which delineates the terms of the OJT contract to include reference to
applicable state and federal regulations.
OJT Performance Measures Include:

Positive outcomes for OJT will be achieving 85% placement at 6 months from the end of the
OJT training in unsubsidized employment, either with the OJT provider or another employer
with the same or similar occupation. Another outcome will be achievement of the overall
program target wage identified in the OJT contract.

Employers who have utilized prior JTPA or WIA sponsored OJT contracts must reflect an
85% retention rate one-year after completion of the OJT contract to qualify for additional
WIA funded OJT contracts.

Employers not meeting the 85% retention rate may be banned from providing WIA funded
OJT for a period of two-years after completion of the final OJT contract. In addition, the
employer must not have had any employee layoff or employee downsizing one-year prior to
applying for a WIA funded OJT.
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
Businesses will be limited to $100,000 annually for OJT ($50,000 for Adults and $50,000 for
Dislocated Workers).
Region VII Self-Sufficiency Standard. The Region VII WIB will utilize the annual West
Virginia 100% Lower Living Standard Income Level for establishing self-sufficiency
employment.
Customized Job Training. Customized training is intended to meet the special training needs
and requirements of an employer or group of employers in the Region VII Workforce area.
The training is carried out based on a commitment by the employer, or group of employers, to
continue to employ individuals who have successfully completed the training.
Customized training can be offered to meet the needs of an employer or group of employers to:
1. Train in new technologies;
2. Train in new production or service procedures; and
3. Upgrading of employee skills required for new jobs.
The Region VII WIB has instituted the following guidelines governing the issuance of any
customized training contract:
1. The WIB has negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the West
Virginia Development Office (WVDO) to collaboratively coordinate customized training
activities in Region VII. This collaboration allows both entities to combine resources to
assist further the employers in Region VII.
2. All customized training activities will be governed by a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) or a contract between all parties (i.e. WIB, WVDO, training provider and
employer). The MOU or contract will, at a minimum, specify the following:
a. occupations being trained to include timeframe of training and number of
employees trained;
b. employer commitment to hire or retain employees;
c. shared training costs of all parties;
d. post training skill level attainment goals;
e. employer cannot have violated at any time any labor law, discrimination law,
environmental protection law, or health and safety laws;
f. customized training cannot be used to assist, promote, or deter union
organizing;
g. WIA funds will not be used for employers that have relocated to the region
from another region in the United States within 120 days, and if the
relocation resulted in jobs lost by employees at the original location;
h. customized training will be limited to the training time outlined in the
Occupational Information Network (O’NET) job classification and
categorization guides;
i. before entering into a customized training contract, the trainee’s skills and
needs will be assessed and documented by the WorkForce West Virginia
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j.
Career Center. Only where the employee will benefit from the customized
training will the individual be enrolled in customized training; and
customized training activities sponsored by the WIB will require the
employer to pay at least 50% of the training cost. The Region VII WIB will
authorize a maximum of $1,000 per employee for customized training.
Customized training for employed individuals (incumbent workers) may be provided if the
employee’s earnings are at or below the region’s self-sufficient wage. The training must be
needed to upgrade the employee’s skills to continue work in the current job or upgrade to a new
job by the employer utilizing customized training. Incumbent worker training will be handled
through WorkForce West Virginia.
Selection of Regional Training Providers. The WIB has issued Guidance Policy Letter 06, which
outlines the complete process and provides the application to be used by Training Providers wishing to be
certified by the Region VII Workforce Investment Board. Training Providers interested in becoming
certified by the WIB to provide training services to eligible Workforce Investment Act (WIA) participants
in regional demand occupations will be required to provide all the information outlined in the Guidance
Policy Letter. The WIB reserves the right to deny training provider status to any applicant that submits
incomplete information. Only training programs identified as providing training in a regional demand
occupation listed on Attachment K will be approved by the WIB. Exception to this rule is when it can be
demonstrated by business, industry, education entities, or economic development agencies a demand not
listed on the WV Demand Occupation List (Attachment J) to be in demand by area business or industry.
Training Providers will be determined eligible on a yearly basis, from January 1 through December 31.
Each approved Training Provider will be required to submit for subsequent eligibility annually.
Training Provider Denial and Appeal. In the event a Training Provider is denied certification by
the WIB, the Training Provider will be notified in writing the reasons for denial. Cases where documents
are incomplete or information incomplete, the WIB will allow the Training Provider to submit the
required documents / information. If all the application requirements have been met after resubmission,
the Training Provider may be approved. However, should an impasse come forth which results in denial
of a Training Provider at the local level, the Training Provider can appeal the local decision to WorkForce
West Virginia. The following process will be followed when appealing:
1. The applicant has ten (10) working days to respond in writing to the sited deficiencies or the
notice of the WIB is final (response must be received within ten (10) working days of the
original receipt of the denial letter or proof of mailing at least three (3) working days prior to
the ten (10) day deadline).
2. The WIB will review the Training Provider’s response and determine if the response satisfies
the sited deficiencies contained in the original denial letter issued by the WIB.
3. If the sited deficiencies have been satisfied the application may be approved and submitted to
WorkForce West Virginia for inclusion on the State approved list.
4. If the applicant has not satisfied all WIB sited deficiencies a second denial notice will be
issued with a hearing date scheduled with the WIB Chairperson, the Executive Committee
Chair, and the Chair of the Performance and Accountability Committee. The applicant shall
have the burden of providing by clear and convincing evidence that training provider status
was wrongfully denied. The decision rendered by the hearing committee will be final and the
applicant cannot submit for training provider status until six months from the date of the denial
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notice. At the end of six months, the applicant, if reapplying for training provider status, must
submit a new training provider application package and meet all certification requirements.
5. The final denial decision issued by the WIB can be appealed by the aggrieved Training
Provider to WorkForce West Virginia in accordance with the guidance published in
WorkForce West Virginia Guidance Policy 2-00, Change 3. The appeal must be made within
ten (10) days after the Training Provider is notified of the hearing committee decision.
Priority of Service. The WIB has issued Guidance Policy Letter 10, which determines priority for
providing WIB Intensive and WIA Training services. Since Adult funds are limited, a Priority of Service
will be utilized in Region VII that will fund all WIA eligible veteran needs and provide adult funding to
recipients of public assistance and / or low-income individuals.
C. Access to Services for Employers.
During Program Year 2003, the Region VII WIB was involved in a pilot project sponsored by the U. S.
Department of Labor which focused on converting One-Stops from being “job seeker” (supply) oriented
to “business” (demand) oriented. Members of the WIB, LEOs and staff traveled to Pennsylvania,
Nebraska and Texas participating in the project and much was gained from the participation. Key lessons
learned were amassed and brought back to the local WIB and discussed for possible implementation in
each of the two regional comprehensive One-Stops. One vital concept taken from the project was the need
for dedicated staff in each One-Stop to work exclusively with businesses to orientate them on WIA, build
trust between the parties, build collaborations with business, to include partnering with education and
economic development. And as importantly as all the above, business conduct the business in the WIB
meetings. Cut the red tape and bureaucratic rhetoric, and above all, listen to business. WIA was developed
with business and economic development as the forerunners, with the mandated partners and other
partners in the One-Stop system as the support element for business needs.
Results. All said and done, the WIB currently has a functioning and growing Business Service Unit.
The Business Service Unit (BSU) is comprised of staff from the various agencies that have, in the past,
independently worked with employers, providing their partner services. By combining all the staff
resources of each partner, businesses were served more efficiently and effectively. Many services that
were being duplicated are now streamlined. Employers do not get visits or telephone calls from many
partners, many offering the same services. Every interaction with an employer now is a coordinated and
focused effort to determine employers’ needs and provide assistance.
Depending on the nature of the business or industry need, the local Community and Technical College
will be called upon to help assess the needs of the employer, whether it is through Job Profiling,
researching the pool of already profiled jobs, or developing a training curriculum to train potential
employees. Costs of Job Profiling can be offset with the assistance of the WorkForce West Virginia
office. In the same instance, the applicable partner(s) at the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers
determine the individual skill needs and other requirements of the employer and start the individual
screening process. Only those individuals that met the employer’s requirements will be referred to the
employer for possible employment.
The BSU is in constant contact with the employer during the hiring and training process to ensure all
processes operate smoothly without undue hardship on the employer. The BSU, upon completion of
working with an employer, will request the employer provide feedback to the WIB on the services
provided by the BSU and WorkForce West Virginia Career Center service delivery. This feedback will be
50
used to analyze One-Stop services and to improve services and add services that are currently not on the
BSU’s menu.
In Region VII, businesses have requested the WIB and local training providers become more flexible in
meeting their needs. Businesses want shorter training programs and workers with basic adult skills (i.e.
read, write, team skills, show up for work on time, dress properly, etc). To meet these identified needs,
the WIB has established the following goals commencing July 1, 2013:
1. WIA Case Managers will be required to closely assess individuals and identify
employment barriers and where applicable, forward such individuals to programs
such as ABE, SPOKES, etc. These services have been underutilized by the WIB in
the past and new usage goals have been identified to all WIA Case managers.
2. SPOKES will be offered to all WIA eligible participants who may want to enter into
a WIA funded Training Program.
3. The WIB has enacted policy whereas 50% of available training funds will be used to
fund “short-term” training such as OJT, Customized Training and ITAs. “Shortterm” training is any training that can be completed in twelve (12) months or less.
4. The WIB has enacted policy as of 2007 where concentration of ITAs will be on
short-term training, lasting twelve (12) months or less. Over twelve (12) months will
be on a case by case basis.
D. Access to Youth Services.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will procure WIA Youth Services in accordance with West
Virginia Procurement Policy. Choosing a qualified Youth Services Provider will be predicated upon the
capability of the provider to adapt to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training
Administration’s new strategic vision to serve out-of-school and at-risk youth under WIA. In particular,
the neediest youth, with priority given to out-of-school youth, high school dropouts, runaway and
homeless youth, youth in foster care, court involved youth, children of incarcerated parents and migrant
youth. To serve these youth populations, the qualified Youth Service Provider must be able to
development a youth service delivery system based upon:
1. Focus on Alternative Education
2. Meeting the demands of business, especially in high-growth
industries and occupations
3. Focus on the neediest youth
4. Focus on improved performance
The qualified Youth Service Provider will be required to be familiar with the new common
measures for youth programs which include: (1) placement in employment or education; (2)
attainment of a degree or certificate; (3) literacy and numeracy gains; and (4) an efficiency
measure. The certificate measure must be a demand-driven measure in which certificates are
awarded in recognition of an individual’s attainment of a measurable technical or occupational
skill necessary to gain employment or advance within a regional demand occupation. These
technical or occupational skills will be based upon the standards developed and endorsed by
employers.
The Youth Services Provider, with the assistance of the WIB Youth Council, the WIB, LEOs and
other youth oriented agencies, will serve as the catalysts for bringing together employment,
51
education and economic development to ascertain youth in the region are provided the education
and skills to be productive citizens in the 21st century.
All youth services will start with WIA eligibility determination at the regional WorkForce West
Virginia Career Centers. The need of the youth will determine the referral process. Youth not
requiring another agency’s services, and initially determined eligible for WIA, will be forwarded
to the WIA Case Manager for formal WIA eligibility determination. Youth determined eligible
will be referred to the current contracted Youth Services Provider for further evaluation and
assistance in overcoming barriers to achieving self-sustaining employment in a regional demand
occupation. To achieve the U.S. Department of Labor’s goal to serve the out-of-school youth, the
WIB will expend no less than 70% of its youth allocation on the Out-of-School and At-Risk
Youth population.
Program Design WIA Youth. The design framework of the local youth program will include:
After eligibility determination by the WIA Case Manager (located at the WorkForce West
Virginia Career Center), the WIA Case Manager will then refer the young person to the Yearround Youth Services Provider. The Youth Services Provider (YSP) will then interview the
customer to determine if he or she would benefit from the youth services offered. If the YSP feels
that the services offered would benefit the young client, they will register the customer into the
MACC computer system. If the services provided are not appropriate for the customer, the YSP
will make referrals to other appropriate services in the community. For the Youth accepted into
the program, the YSP will then conduct an objective assessment of each youth participant that
meets the requirements of WIA section 129C (1) (A) and includes a review of the academic and
occupational skill levels, as well as the service needs of each youth;
The Youth Services Provider will develop service strategies for each youth participant that meets
the requirements of WIA section 129C (1) (B), including identifying a career goal in
consideration of the participant’s needs;
The YSP will conduct a pre-test within 60 days of enrollment into the program, using a
standardized testing instrument (as defined by the Department of Labor as suitable for Common
Measures criteria) to identify participant math and reading levels. Basic skill instruction, if the
need is identified (anything below 9th grade level), will be provided to assist the youth in
increasing basic skill levels. Increased basic skill levels will be documented comparing the basic
skills pre-test score with the results of the required post-test using the same standardized testing
instrument used during the pre-test;
Preparation for post-secondary educational opportunities, linkage between academic and
occupational learning, preparation for employment, and effective connections to intermediary
organizations that include strong links to be job market employers, and regional demand
occupations;
The Youth Services Provider will be responsible for arranging and/or providing service for youth
based on the results of individualized objective assessments and individual service strategy. If a
youth is determined to be in need of any of the ten (10) program elements, those elements shall be
made available to the individual served. The YSP will document activities, attendance, and
progress of individuals participating in each element. This information will be entered into the
Mid-Atlantic Career Consortium (MACC) system by the Youth Case Managers as they occur, to
be used for reporting and performance purposes. This will be reported to the appropriate WIB
staff for monitoring purposes. Case Managers will maintain a hard copy case management log on
52
each client served, which includes linkages, referrals to other services, services provided, and
plan for further activity or follow-up;
The Youth Services Provider will identify how services will be offered to youth that were
provided WIA youth services under a prior contract. All services will be recorded in the MACC
system, and will be maintained on a daily basis. The YSP will continue offering WIA services as
outlined on the youth Individual Service Strategy (ISS) and provide follow-up services as
required by the Act. The YSP will conduct face-to-face contact with all youth receiving WIA
youth services, excluding follow-up services, twice monthly. The YSP will have weekly contact
with all WIA youth participants, except those youth receiving only follow-up services. The YSP
will conduct quarterly meetings with all partners to develop further the service delivery network.
A copy of the minutes of quarterly meetings will be submitted to the WIB.
The Youth Services Provider will give enrollment priority to those WIA participants receiving
youth services under a prior WIB youth services contract. The YSP will also provide follow-up
services to those youth that have exited the WIA youth services elements but still fall into the
“follow-up” window for twelve months.
Program Design Summer Youth. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 establishes summer
employment/work experience as one of the ten primary service elements for WIA eligible Youth.
As funding allows, the Region VII Workforce Investment Board will provide eligible youth with
summer employment opportunities.
Policy: The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will be responsible for directly
administering and providing eligible youth with a Summer Youth Work Experience Component
in accordance with the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA).
The period “Summer” will be from May 1 through September 30. Summer employment is “any
set of allowable WIA Youth Services that occur during the above referenced summer months as
it includes a work experience component.”
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board Summer Youth Work Experience Component will
provide work experiences for resident youth ages 14-21. The Summer Youth Work Experience
Component will operate for a six-week period during the summer months beginning no earlier than
June 1st and terminating no later than September 30th. Youth who participate in this component will
earn the equivalent of $7.25 per hour. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will have
Program Monitors to evaluate participating worksites. Participating youth will work no more than 8
hours per day for a maximum total number of 32 hours per week. Weekly work schedules for
participating youth will be Monday – Thursday. We will comply with State laws as they related to the
number of hours per week a younger youth can work/perform.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will distribute to all participants a Handbook at the
start of the Summer Youth Work Experience Component. The Handbook will explain/describe
rules, regulations, policies/procedures, duties/responsibilities, payroll schedule, etc. All
participating youth, Monitors and worksites will use all Region VII Workforce Investment Board
prepared Summer Youth Work Experience Component forms, handouts, etc.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will request a Blanket Work Permit from the WV
Department of Labor for all 14 - 15 year olds working on its Summer Youth Work Experience
Component.
53
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will identify participating worksite(s), public,
private sector and non-profit, via a public solicitation process prior to the start of the component.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will be responsible for selecting participating
worksites. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will make every effort to match
worksites with participants’ interests and goals. Work experience provided to Summer Youth
Work Experience Component participants will be structured to impart measureable
communications, decision-making and learning skills. Participating worksites will be required to
provide participants with age appropriate activities. We will strive to identify “green” jobs and
products in an effort to provide participating youth with summer work experiences that prepare
them to compete in a “green” economy.
Youth, ages 14 – 17, will work primarily at public and non-profit worksites. Youth, ages 18 - 24,
may work at public, private sector and non-profit worksites.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board has established a worksite selection criterion for
for-profit companies as part of its worksite application process to ensure that the summer
employment is a work experience component intended to increase work readiness skills of
participants and not impact the profit margin of a for-profit company.
Once worksite selections are made, the Region VII Workforce Investment Board will forward
worksite information, etc., along with number of youth(s) to be referred to worksite, etc. to the
WorkForce West Virginia Career Center Assessment/Eligibility staff that will be responsible for
referring youth to their job location(s).
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will comply with all Workplace Safety Guidelines
as defined in TEGL 14-08. All participating worksites will also be required to adhere to State and
local safety guidelines and applicable federal/state wage laws.
Eligibility determination for participating youth will be the same as it is for the WIA
Youth/Adult Programs with the exception that youth up to the age of 21 can be served with these
funds. The Priority of Services for Youth with these funds only will be as follows:
Out-of-School Youth
Youth Most at Risk for Dropping Out of School
Youth In and Aging Out of Foster Care
Youth Offenders
Youth At Risk of Court Involvement
Homeless Youth
Runaway Youth
Children of Incarcerated Parents
Migrant Youth
Indian and Native American Youth
Youth with Disabilities
All participating youth, once deemed WIA eligible, are to be “TABE” tested. However, those
youth who are currently enrolled in a WIA activity and have been TABE tested within a one (1)
year period do not have to be re-tested for the Summer Youth Work Experience Component.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board will adhere to Work Readiness requirements as
defined in Section 664.460 of the One Stop Guide to the Final Regulations. During the six (6)
weeks of summer employment, all participating youth will receive no less than three (3) hours
54
per week of work readiness skills training. The work readiness skills training component will be
the only indicator used for youth who participate in “Summer Employment” only. (The basic and
occupational skills portions of the skill attainment rate and the literacy/numeracy gains measures will
not be required for youth who participant in “Summer Employment” only. In addition, no other WIA
or common measure indicators will be required for youth in “Summer Employment” only. However,
for reporting purposes, we will be required to track the number of participants enrolled in “Summer
Employment” and the completion rate of those in “Summer Employment” (number of youth who
complete their “Summer Employment” work experience/number of youth who participate in Summer
Employment”) x 100%).
All participating youth will be pre and post tested, using a Region VII Workforce Investment
Board approved assessment tool(s), to ensure measurable skill(s) have been achieved.
A Summer Employment completion rate will be reported. If a youth served with these funds does not
participate in “Summer Employment” or is served beyond the summer months, he/she would also be
included in the regular WIA reporting mechanisms (ie: WIASRD, MACC, quarterly reporting, etc.)
and be subject to the full set of WIA Youth measures or Youth Common Measures.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board Summer Youth Work Experience Component will
not have an academic learning sub-component. However, Summer Youth Work Experience
Component participants who do not have a high school diploma are to be referred to a local Adult
Basic Education facility. Any participant that wishes to be enrolled as a WIA Adult upon the
completion of the Summer Work Experience MUST enroll in an ABE curriculum geared towards the
attainment of their GED.
Follow-up services will not be required for youth who participate in the Summer Youth Work
Experience Component only. Regular follow-up services are to be completed for those youth who
have ended their participation in the Summer Youth Work Experience Component and are referred to
a year-long WIA Youth or Adult Program or Service (ie: Twelve (12) month follow-up services
provided to participants in a Year-Long Youth Program or Services and six (6) month follow-up
services provided to participants in a Year-Long Adult Program or Service).
No less than 30% of those youth enrolled on this Program will be out-of-school youth.
Older and Out-Of-School youth will be encouraged to continue appropriate activities beyond
Summer months including training opportunities and reconnecting to academic opportunities through
multiple educational pathways.
Supportive Services (ie: Safety gear, etc.) and Needs-Based Services for youth may be provided
depending on need and necessity. Whether a participating youth is in need of these services will be
determined on a case by case basis by the Case Manager. Any Supportive Services or Needs-Based
Services provided must have prior approval from the Region VII Workforce Investment Board
Executive Director.
Year-long Youth Providers will be encouraged to help recruit currently enrolled youth into the
Region VII Workforce Investment Board Summer Youth Work Experience Component. Year-long
Youth Providers will also be encouraged to recruit youth who have not yet been enrolled in a Region
VII Workforce Investment Board sponsored youth program/activity into the Region VII Workforce
Investment Board Summer Youth Work Experience Component.
We will adhere to State and federal guidelines, rules and regulations governing the Summer
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Youth Work Experience Component.
We will adhere to ADA reasonable accommodations and guidelines.
Discrimination and harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
Up to 5% of youth participant served by youth programs may be individuals who
do not meet the income criterion for eligible youth provided they have additional barriers as identified
in Section 664.200 of the One Stop Guide to the Final Regulations.
If determined necessary and appropriate, linkages with providers of other youth
programs/services, like Mountaineer Challenge Academy and Mission WV, may be explored.
Section VIII. Additional Information
A. Procurement.
The new Administrative Agent for the WIB will administer WIB contracts and grants. Adherence
to procurement guidance contained in the West Virginia Purchasing Division Policies and
Procedures Handbook, the Federal Acquisition Regulations, and the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) circulars will be mandatory. The policies in these documents will govern the
administration and execution of any procurement instrument that provides supplies and/or
services to WIA adult, dislocated worker, and/or youth participants.
The Administrative Agent will be advised to use West Virginia vendors for purchases. Services
and supplies that are not expected to exceed $1,000 or less require no bids; however competition
is always encouraged. For purchases $1,000.01 to $5,000, three verbal bids are required and will
be documented. Purchases $5,000.01 to $10,000 require three written bids. Acquisitions over
$10,000 will require a Request for Proposal (RFP) process whereby the acquisition is publicly
advertised for written estimates. Bids will be evaluated based on the acquisition requirements
identified in the Request for Proposal. Proposals will be evaluated by WIB assigned committees.
B. WIA Title I Equal Opportunity (EO), Affirmative Action, and Grievance Procedures.
WorkForce West Virginia has been designated as the responsible agency for issues related to EO.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board issues the following statement concerning equal
employment and nondiscrimination:
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board prohibits discrimination in all aspects of the
administration, management and operation of Workforce Investment Act programs and activities.
Services offered at the Region VII WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will be provided
universally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or political
affiliation or belief, in both participation and employment.
Programs offered through the Region VII WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will comply with: (1)
WIA Section 188; (2) WIA Section 181(c); (3) Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II, Subpart
A; (4) 20 CFR Section 645.255; (5) 20 CFR Section 667.600-630: and (6) 29 CFR Part 37 and; (7) other
applicable federal and state nondiscrimination and equal opportunity regulations.
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Both WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers are programmatically and architecturally accessible
providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
The Governor has designated WorkForce West Virginia as the agency to implement the equal opportunity
and nondiscrimination provisions of Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) implementing regulations at 29 CFR 37. The local Board has
assigned an Equal Opportunity Officer (EOO) to coordinate all equal opportunity issues within the
Region VII area. The EOO will be governed by 29 CFR 37 in the performance of duties. The EOO for
the Region VII Workforce Investment Board is Ms. Stacy Vance at (304) 530-5258.
C. Local Grievance Procedures
All participating partners of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board WorkForce West Virginia
Career Centers, whether on-site partners or partners providing services via technology or referral, will
have published grievance procedures specific to their program and services. Partners will be required to
address and provide remedy, when necessary, for any grievance specific to the partner’s services. The
management consortia of the WorkForce West Virginia Career Centers will have, in writing, grievance
procedures in place to handle complaints from services provided by the One-Stop. As stated above, the
management consortia will require partners handle any complaint specific to their programs. One-Stop
partners and the one-stop management consortia must follow the following minimum procedures when an
employer or One-Stop service participant files any complaint:
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
STEP 1
The individual having the grievance shall immediately discuss it with his/her immediate
supervisor/instructor. If not resolved, the grievance must be written (using the Region
VII Grievance Form) and presented to the immediate supervisor/instructor for a written
response. The supervisor/instructor shall give a written response to the grievant within
three (3) business days. If the supervisor/ instructor’s written response given at Step 1 is
not satisfactory, the grievant may proceed to Step 2.
STEP 2
Grievant requests a review from the director/employer within two (2) business days of
the receipt of the supervisor/instructor’s written response. The director/employer shall
give a written response to the grievant within five (5) business days. The grievant has
two business days to respond to the decision rendered by the director/employer at Step 2.
Note to director/employer: If the grievant is not satisfied with the decision in Step 2, the
director/employer must forward the grievance to: Region VII Workforce Investment Board, Attn:
Stacy Vance, Equal Opportunity Officer, 1929-2 State Road 55, Moorefield, WV 26836 within two
(2) business days of response from the grievant.
Step 3
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board Equal Opportunity Officer (EOO) may
review and/or conduct an inquiry of the grievance in an attempt to reach an informal
resolution with the grievant.
The Region VII Workforce Investment Board’s Equal Opportunity Officer will issue a
written summary of the results from Step 3 within 10 days from the date of this meeting.
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If the written summary of the Region VII Workforce Investment Board’s EOO is not
accepted/satisfactory, or the grievant has not received a written summary from the
Region VII Workforce Investment Board’s EOO within 10 days from the date of this
meeting, then the grievant may proceed to Step 4.
Step 4
The request for a formal hearing shall be filed within 10 days of receipt of the written
summary at Step 3. The Region VII Workforce Investment Board EOO will conduct the
actual hearing. The hearing examiners’ written decision is to be given to both parties no
later than 60 days from the date that the grievance was originally filed. If either party
does not receive a written decision within the 60-day time frame or receives an
unsatisfactory decision, they may proceed to Step 5.
Step 5
Step 5 requires review of the grievance by the Governor’s Counsel. This request for
review shall be filed within 10 days of receipt of the unsatisfactory decision or 10 days
from the date on which either party should have received a decision. This request for
review is submitted to WorkForce West Virginia. A written decision will be issued within
30 days. WorkForce West Virginia’s decision is final.
The address for WorkForce West Virginia is:
Alice McVey, EO Officer
WorkForce West Virginia
112 California Avenue
Charleston, West Virginia 25305
A. Performance Management.
The Board recognizes the Performance Indicators and Goals negotiated between the Region VII
WIB and the Governor’s Workforce Investment Division. Attachment G contains the Region
VII performance measures. No additional standards have been negotiated.
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Statement of Approval
Local Workforce Investment Plan
The signatures below certify that the attached Local Workforce Investment Plan (including
Administrative Assurances) have been reviewed and approved by the Chief Local Elected Official
and the Workforce Investment Board.
Local Workforce Area Region VII Workforce Investment Board
Board Contact Person
Fiscal Agent
T.J. Van Meter, Executive Director
Eastern WV Community Action Agency
Phone No.
304-530-5258
Phone No.
304-538-7711
Chief Local Elected Official
Bradley Close – Chief Local Elected Official
Workforce Investment Board Chair
Ted Bostic – Workforce Investment Board
Signature
Signature
Date
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Date